Through The Glass
by Youkai Koneko
Summary: 3rd installment of the Kimochi series! Kenisha's been gone for 3 years, and things have changed. She's back in the village again, but more trouble arises. Such as dead Shinobi, sacrifices, and a whole lotta angst. rated M for the strong of heart
1. Prologue

_**Through The Glass**_

**Prologue**

It's been 3 years since the Kurosendo Koneko left Konohagakure, when she was known as Kimochi Kenisha, one of the last of the Kimochi. The reasons of her defection were slowly lost to those in the village, other than those looking for her, and even then, despite those reasons, their only objective was to bring her back to the village.

Who is still looking for her, you ask?

Well, only my friends and I, Rock Lee, her fiancée. And we won't stop until she's back with us. She was confused, distraught, and not in her right mind. Events that had happened drew her toward leaving, and her concern for us caused her to distance herself away. She even considered indirect suicide; asking us to kill her so she couldn't hurt anyone else. But we have made a promise to adamantly refuse.

But that's only if we ever find her. And that's why we're at the only place she said she'd always return to: Soragakure, the resting place of the Kimochi clan as of 7 years ago.

Now I'm going to hope beyond hope that she chooses tonight to pay her respects to the dead.

_Koneko's POV_

I can't go today; not to the memorial. I can't leave.

I may never be able to.

I bit back a whimper at the pain that coursed through my bare body; the bruises were aging slowly, but the cuts kept bleeding. '_He'd be back soon,' _I thought, terrified. Then I furiously struggled against my bindings and finally, after minutes that seemed like small eternities, I got my right hand free, then the left. I untied the ropes around my naked ankles and rubbed them, trying to get the circulation back.

I looked up and stared into the starry sky, the moonlight highlighting my skin. _'I need my clothes and my katanas back, then find Kami-kun.' _I slid onto the ground and rolled over, the dew-sprinkled grass feeling slightly refreshing to my battered body. Then I rolled over and got on one knee, then slowly got up, wobbling a little; I was getting a head-rush.

I looked down and groaned. Not only were my cuts bleeding, but also sticky crimson was dripping down from between my legs, just as all the other times he'd visited me. I looked around and saw a pile of clothes by the tree I was tied to, as well as some shoes. I got into them quickly and shoved my feet into the boots. They were about two sizes too big, but they'd have to do until I got to… anywhere but here. The clothes consisted of a green torn camisole, some even darker cargo pants and some female-looking boxers. At least now I had some modesty.

I took a deep breath and called out softly, "Kami-kun?" I heard a growl and turned around, seeing my adolescent wolf summoning chained to a stake, some burn marks on his paws and snout; his jaw was taped shut. I hurried to him as fast as my knees would allow and ripped the tap from his jaw, rubbing his head and back.

"**Ahh…. Much better. You alright, Koneko?" **I nodded, gesturing to myself.

"As alright as I'll ever be here. C'mon, we gotta go," I whispered while unwrapping the chains from his back paws and backside. He shook as if he was drenched and sighed.

"**I saw your katanas around there," **his golden eyes gestured to the soft sound of a babbling brook. **"Your shard is there too, along with your clothes."**

"I think it's better if I don't waste time changing into more comfortable clothes, Kami-kun," I stated flatly, crouching next to him and then army-crawling toward the sound of the brook. He growled in response and followed, his furry butt poking out in the air. When we finally got there, I saw the katanas propped against a rock and my bag of clothes, along with my peridot shard, lying on top of the rock. I motioned for Kami-kun to grab the bag while I got the katanas, looking around wildly for any sign of the man who captured me.

There was none. I sighed and took some beef jerky from a pocket of the bag in Kami-kun's teeth and shared it with him, getting some much needed nourishment into my system. I nodded to him and he complied, glowing like the stars above with a golden sheen.

Then he jumped into my body, his soul fusing with mine. I felt my hair turning black and lengthening, my nails growing and sharpening, and my teeth curving into a predators' shape. My wounds felt less painful now and my body felt rejuvenated.

I smirked. "He can't get us now, can he Kami-kun?"

'_**No, not anymore. Let's go, Koneko.'**_

"That's Kurosendo Koneko to you, Mizukamimaru-kun," I said, grinning. Then I put my pack around my shoulders, my katanas in their hilts at the base of my spine, and my body into a sprinter's crouch.

'_**Ready…'**_

"Set…"

"_**Go!"**_

Then we ran, on the water, through the trees, across fields of grass. We couldn't see straight; it was all a blur. But we didn't care: the farther away we got from that bastard, the better.


	2. Regret

**Chapter One –Regret**

_Koneko's POV_

"**Koneko, I'm hungry." **If he said one more word, I was going to send him to hell. Literally.

"You said that an hour ago, Kami-kun." I gave him a look and kept walking; the black wolf just followed like a lost puppy.

"**I know…but I really am **_**hungry**_**, Mistress!"**

"Oh yeah, you only call me "Mistress" when you're begging for something. Besides, how are people gonna react to a Great Dane-sized beast walking into a local ramen shop?" I turned to look Ookami right in the eyes. He didn't seem fazed.

"**We won't be in a ramen shop cuz I eat deer and stuff!"**

"That's not what you said when I got you those dumplings last night. You practically bit my hand off!" If wolves could blush, Ookami would be doing just that.

"**Sh-Shut up! You know I was raised by a psycho!"**

"Oh, so now I'm a psycho?! I'm a bounty hunter, Kami-kun! I kill the un-innocent, not people!"

"**I can't believe this; you're 21 years old and you're making up words."**

"I have a right as someone who can kick your ass to make up my own words…Besides, un-innocent is so a word…"

Ookami groaned. **"How about we just get to the village before you need to go out "bounty hunting", ok?"**

I nodded. "Yeah, that's probably best."

We've been walking for about 5 hours since our last rest stop to the small Land of Birds, our next rest stop before we continued to our destination: The Land of Sound. Of course, with Ookami around, we've gotta stop every two hours so he can eat. Kami, why doesn't he just eat himself into a fuckin' coma?! Seriously, I wonder where that thing puts it all.

Oh yeah, I haven't introduced myself. The name's Koneko, short for Kurosendo Koneko. Yeah, that name could just drive ya away, but don't' worry. As long as you're not evil, I won't bite. I've been a bounty hunter for almost 3 years now, and most criminals know me. Just walk into a jail and you'll see a bad guy with a grudge against kittens.

You see, I used to be a ninja. A ninja from Konoha, as a matter of fact. Of course, you're probably wondering why I left such a magnificent place, right? Well, it's cuz I was hurting everyone there. Not directly, though, more of me being there hurt them. I mean, seriously, who knew that a Kage lusting after your power would hurt anyone?

Ha, gotcha. Of course it'd hurt people. Because I'm one of the last Kimochi, a clan of elements and feelings. Yup, water, fire, earth and wind, divided into four separate people. Me? I was water, and along with my cousins, Emily, Katie, and Hermione, we were the present generation of the Kimochi kekkei genkai. Emily is fire, Katie is earth, and Hermione was wind. Another one of those "was's" again. Well, Hermione's dead. My fiancée and I killed her because she joined the side of the one who massacred the Kimochi clan. But that's one of the many things I regret doing. A bounty hunter usually has a lot of those.

"Hey Kami-kun, lets rest here. I'll get you some food in a minute." He gave me one of his wolfish smiles and I smiled back. Though it wasn't a full smile though and it hasn't been a full smile since I left.

As I leaped through the trees, I was near tears. Again. That's what I get for mentioning the village. I really miss that place; it was my home for four years, and those years were the best and worst of my life. No, scratch that. These years away from the village are the worst of my life, because I'm not whole anymore.

I dropped down and blinked rapidly before calmly walking into the dumpling shop, ordering 30 to-go. After getting my order, I paid the guy in the white hat and walked out as calmly as I did when I came in. Then as soon as I got back in the trees I began to cry. I jumped higher in the tree I was in and just leaned on it, crying my heart out. Slowly, and with shaking fingers, I pulled out my iPod and turned it to the song "Gomenasai" by T.a.T.u. As their lyrics blasted in my ears, I thought about everyone in the village I left behind and how much I missed them. Then I switched to my pictures, looking at everyone's smiling faces. I focused most on Lee's. I grasped the peridot shard around my neck, and it slowly started to glow green through my fingers. This wasn't the first time it reacted to my fucked up emotions.

"L-Lee…..Lee-koishi….Gomen nasai…" After about 10 more minutes of crying, I slowly stopped and began to hiccup softly. After those were gone, I wiped my eyes and pulled out a mirror; I had to clean myself up before going back to Ookami. I fixed my mascara, which is the _only _makeup I use, thank you! Though I really don't need it; my eyelashes are naturally full and black; the mascara just makes them look more…dark, if you get what I'm saying. Underneath my eyes were purple circles, because I never get any sleep. I have to work at night. Speaking of night, it was getting late. I'd better get up before Ookami destroys a village.

After cleaning myself up, I brought the food to Ookami, and while he was gobbling it up, I put on my bounty hunter suit: Midnight purple belly turtleneck, same color pants that end above my ankles, ninja sandals, and a long black cloak to hide the sheathes of my katanas. To top it all off I donned my fingerless gloves that had some metal on the top so negate direct attacks. Now I just had to wait for Ookami.

"You done yet?"

"**No. I have to wait for you to have some; it's why you bought 30 dumplings, right? 15 for you, 15 for me?"**

"I'm not hungry anymore…"

"**You're not gonna survive if you don't eat: We've gotta kill that dude with the weird beard that killed his family tonight."**

"He won't make me break a sweat, you know that." Maybe it's me, but isn't being cocky just a hair away from being confident? At least that's what I've always felt.

"**That doesn't matter. You've still gotta eat. You'll die if you do--"** And that's when he stops talking. As soon as the dying thing pops up.

And you'd think he'd remember by now. I _want_ to die. But I'm not gonna be killed by some half-bit criminal. No, that's not who's gonna do it. The ones who are going to take my life are the ones I ended up hurting.

"It's ok, Kami-kun. Let's just fuse now, ok?" I flicked my hair out of my cloak, the cark chocolate, almost black tresses flowing down my back. My hair had gotten longer over the years, but not so much that it wasn't manageable. _'Great, now why are my eyes watering?' _Oh yeah, because thinking about my hair makes me think of TenTen, my best friend. I shook the thought away and did the hand signs.

"Art of the Kimochi: Familiar Fusion!"

The peridot on my chest glowed again, and this time, I felt another presence coming from its warm glow. The green light was slowly lightening, until it became yellow green. By the end of the fusion, it was becoming blinding. But I ignored that and checked to see if everything was where it needed to be.

Black ears on top of my head check. Slightly bushy black tail coming out of ass, check. Sharper and longer fingernails, a.k.a claws, check. Elongated and sharpened canines and incisors check. Whiskers check. Slightly slanted eyes check. Pointed pupils check. OK, everything's good to go.

"Alright, let's rock."

'_**Koneko, what's that weird glowing?'**_ Yeah, Ookami is talking to me in my head. Well, he had to be able to talk somewhere; we_ are_ sharing a body.

'_I bet it's nothing, Kami-kun. Just don't worry about it.' _With that, we started off to the place where the bearded criminal was last seen.

But it was something to worry about, alright. The entrance of yellow in the green light meant that a certain someone was trying to find me again. And this time he was going to track me with the glow. He wouldn't stop until he had me in his arms again, that's for sure.

You know who it is yet? Yup, you're right. It is Lee. And right then, I wished that I wasn't sharing a body with Ookami. Because right then, I wanted to cry. So bad, I wanted to cry.

Because while the light's glowing, whether its mine, or his, or both, Lee can see me and what I'm doing. This meant he saw what I did.

'_Ookami, I'm gonna stop for a minute.'_

'_**OK, but for what?'**_

'_Umm, I think it's best if you just get out of my body for a second. I'll be back in a second.'_

'…_**I hope you know what you're doing, Koneko.'**_

I took a deep breath and smiled one of my wolfish smiles. Once again, it wasn't a whole one. _'I know what I'm doing, Kami-kun. You should be worrying about what you're going to do when I'm gone.'_

The wolf sighed as he slowly unfused with me. **"Alright, but be back in less than 30 minutes. I don't want to wait to kill this guy."**

"OK, you can stop being the big man now, Kami-kun. See ya later."

After I gave him a small wave, I ran to the nearest tree and went to the top so I could see the full moon. Holding up the peridot with one hand, I touched it with the other, using my Chakra to track where Lee's Chakra signature was. I closed my eyes and concentrated on my once lover….

_In my mind, I saw many images of trees flashing by and an image of the moon. After focusing a bit more, I saw him. Lee, his face, his dark eyes determined to get to me. He hadn't changed at all. It had to have been some sort of dream, because my eyes felt heavy, just by looking at his face again. He looked up; as if I was really there. Then he said something I thought I'd never hear from his lips for the rest of my life._

"_Aishiteru, Kenisha-tenshi….I'm coming for you." I was this close to getting the hell out of there, but he said something else, and I just had to listen. I just had to hear more of his voice again. Thus, the impossible dream continued. "Don't forget what you said to me….Yakusoku wa oboete iru no…Wasurete ima nai no…."_

_Then I just had to do it. I don't even know why I did it, but if the love of your life was talking to you from who knows how far away and you haven't seen his face in the flesh for 3 years, what the hell would you do? So I replied back. "Yo Lee-koishi….it's me." He frowned a little and I noticed he was looking me up and down; I hadn't really been taking care of myself since I left him and the others._

"_Kenisha-tenshi…you've…."_

"_I'll wait for you. Just--"_

"_Shhh." I could almost feel his fingers on my lips. "Don't worry. I'm already here." He was beginning to fade away, but I didn't notice. I was too busy relishing in the feeling of his warm breath on my neck. My hair shrouded over my face as I buried it in his muscled chest. "Look at me, Kenisha-tenshi, Kenisha, my love. I need to see your face." My eyes widened, and I gripped his shirt. _

_"I'm not sure if you want to see what I've become…" He smiled, silently wiping some hair out of my face, even though he still couldn't see it. _

_"It doesn't matter what you've become, as long as you still love me….because I love you as anything, Kenisha, as an angel or a demon. What I need to see are your eyes….I need to be lost in them again…" He clutched me close to him and looked down at my head, his eyes eating my appearance. One of his hands held onto the peridot around my neck, the other held my hand. I was ready; I was ready to let him see me, as I am now. I knew he was smiling, even if I couldn't see him. It's just something that lovers can do. _

_"Go on, let me see. Let me see what my love has become…"_

And sure enough, I look up, only to be met with empty space and a dark blanket of night. No one was there. "Lee?" I looked around again wildly, almost losing my balance. "Lee-koishi?!" I couldn't believe it. It had to have been real; it can't have been only a dream. The peridot was still warm in my hands; I could still feel his warmth on it.

'_It can't have not been real….He was there, god dammit! LEE-KOISHI WAS THERE!!'_

"**Koneko, get down here, I've spotted him." **

"Coming!" I dropped down from the tree and made some more hand signs.

"Art of the Kimochi: Familiar Fusion!" We fused again and I pulled up my cloak collar.

'_So, where is he?'_

'_**He's over in the back of that house, just polishing his weapon before it gets bloody…' **_Ookami growled, and it felt like a sonic boom inside my head.

"OK, let's bag this sick son of a bitch…." With that, I jumped into the air and in front of the criminal. But, of course, he didn't notice me. That is until the glint of my katanas caught his attention.

"Who's there?" His voice was surprisingly soft for a guy with a beard.

"Kurosendo……." I began to come out of my crouch.

"Black Death? But that means…." He looked at me, glinting in the moonlight, ears twitching at the top of my head and tail swishing behind me. Not to mention my katanas were raised and ready to cut out his heart. He got the picture _real_ fast.

"Kurosendo Koneko…..Kitten of the Black Death….so you're after the price on my head?"

"That's right. You're smarter than you look."

"And you must be tougher than you look, because I'm not about to be bested by a girl…" He gave me a perverted smile and gave me the up-and-down. "I'd rather be _besting_ all of what you have there…"

'_**Great! The guy wants to rape you while I'm in here! DO YOU KNOW HOW FUCKIN' GROSS THAT IS!?'**_

'_Shut up, I got it.'_

"Well, number one, I'm a woman, number two, I'll not be _bested_ by you, and number three…" I smirked at him. Then I disappeared, my speed bringing me behind him before he knew I was there; my own personal version of the Body Flicker jutsu. My katanas were at his throat and his liver, about to be drenched in blood. "Hope you got a good look." His life ended when he turned his head to look at me.

'_**Well, that was fun.'**_

'_Aw, shut up Kami-kun…'_

I jumped away from the scene, leaving my mark behind me. A chibi picture of a kitten with demon horns drawn in the man's blood; I used my tail as a paintbrush.

The night became darker as clouds crossed over the moon, shading my face and making my eyes as dark as my soul. This is my life: killing the evil, bypassing the innocent and living an empty life without anyone. Well, except Ookami of course. But a talking wolf can get boring after a while, especially when he himself is missing his father, who I left with my fiancée in Konoha.

'_Hey Kami-kun, do you wanna go somewhere?'_

'_**Depends on where we're going.'**_

'_How about a visit?'_

'_**A visit to where?'**_

'_We're going home…there's something I need to do.' _When we were far away enough, I unfused with Ookami.

"**So I'll get to see my father? And you'll get to see L--"**

"Yeah, Kami-kun, I'll get to see him…" _'Because I regret leaving him in the first place….Lee-koishi….everyone….I regret leaving you….'_

* * *

**Me: Well, that certainly was informative.**

**Ookami: You don't see me complaining…**

**Me: That's cuz you got food!**

**Ookami: (if wolves could blush, he would be) Sh-Shut up!!**

**Me: I'm jus playing with ya! –Ruffles fur on head-**

**Ookami: -kicking his leg- **

**Me: You're just like a dog!**

**Ookami: No, I'm the **_**ancestor**_** of the dog. Where do you think **_**they**_** got it from?**

**Me: I'm not gonna continue this conversation…**

**Ookami: You can't just walk out on me! I'M YOUR DOG!!**

**Me: Ooo! I made you say it!**

**Ookami: Damn…**


	3. The Fruit of Determination

**Chapter Two- The Fruit of Determination**

_Lee's POV_

It's been 3 long years since I've felt it, but finally, I felt her presence.

'_But why in the Land of Sound?'_

I'd seen many photos of people that the Kurosendo Koneko had punished, but none were of people from that land. "It doesn't hurt to follow this lead, though," I said to myself, pulling on my ANBU uniform. I'd been talking to myself a lot lately; separation can be a horrible thing. "I wonder if she does the same thing?"

There I go again, thinking out loud. I've been doing this since I met her, and it brings back memories.

_Neji sighed along with TenTen as Lee sat down after 20 minutes of jumping around and chasing him around the Academy. They had finally stopped running around at the leafy loft at the back of the Academy. And by "stopped running," TenTen had pinned Lee to a pole in the loft and tied his arms behind his back._

_"Lee, you idiot!! You're not even going to see how Kenisha's doing?" Lee bit at his bindings and Neji laughed._

_"Those aren't just ropes. They infused with concentrated adamantium. You're not getting out of those, even with gates. So sit tight and listen to the girl." TenTen smiled._

_"Thank you, Neji! Okay, Lee, you want to get down and see how Kenisha's doing now? If not, I'm going to keep you up there." _

_Lee thought about it for a moment. "What if she is...?"_

_"What if I'm what?" Kenisha had entered the loft, walking past a bewildered TenTen and a silent Neji and went to Lee, who was crying. "Why are you crying, Lee-kun? I'm okay, so stop it. If you're thinking it's your fault, it's not. Trust me."_

_'How did she know what I was thinking?'_

_"Probably because you keep thinking out loud," Kenisha laughed and untied the ropes and tore the kunai and shuriken from his clothes._

I was just as predictable back then as I am now. As I donned my tiger mask, I looked back down at a picture I keep on my bedside table. It was a group picture of the Konoha 15, with Kenisha and me on the right. Everybody was so happy back then, everything was so bright. Nowadays it never stops raining.

As I looked out the window, I thought back to last night. _'I know I saw her….she was in my arms again...I felt her. Kenisha is out there and she's close enough for me to get her tonight.'_

I thought it's better if I don't tell the others about this. If I know—well, it's more of if I knew now: If I know my lover, then she wouldn't want a huge welcoming party. "Just like old times…at least, I hope so…."

At the Gates of Konohagakure

Some shapeless silhouettes were waiting for me at the gate. When I got closer, I distinguished them as my old teammates, Hyuuga Neji and Hyuuga TenTen, all suited up in their own ANBU uniforms; TenTen's mask a dove, Neji's mask an eagle.

"What are you guys doing here?"

TenTen gave me a small smile, or at least I knew she did. It's a friend thing. "You're a little too predictable, Lee. Besides, not everyone can run so fast the rain goes in a straight line when they pass." I nodded.

"So you know why I'm here, then?"

"Yeah, we do," Neji said softly. "And if you've got her location, you're gonna need help." He just loves to piss me off, doesn't he?

"Why would I need help in apprehending my fiancée?" My voice was getting a little loud but I made no attempt to tone it down. My taped hands were curled into fists. TenTen stepped in between us and put a hand on my shoulder, almost like Kenisha-tenshi used to. It didn't help.

"Lee, we know you're upset and want to whisk her off her feet as soon as possible, but in case you haven't noticed, she's been gone for 3 years. She's a bounty hunter now, totally out of kunoichi code. She's lived without you for 3 years Lee…..I'm not too sure if she--"

"Don't say that!" My voice was cracking; she had just nearly said out loud what I've been suspecting for a long time. "It was because of her love for me that she left in the first place, dammit! If she'd swayed at all, I'd know! We're fuckin' connected!" My voice caught as I swung the glowing citrine shard in TenTen's sight. "This is what keeps us together when we can't see each other or hear each other's voices! This is what helped me see her last night-" Neji and TenTen gasped at that part. "-And fuck, she's just as beautiful as she ever was! If this little Chakra-enriched citrine shard can do that, then it can lead me to her!"

The lump in my throat threatened to rise as I swallowed and put the shard down. I breathed in deep as I turned back to them. The looks on their faces could spell shock to a deaf person. I knew that what they looked like underneath their masks too.

Once again, it's a friend thing.

I just turned and walked out of the village, my feet going numb as I stepped in more puddles. They just followed me; team loyalty and an almost life-long friendship can do that to you.

TenTen took the first opportunity to ask me if it was true. I nodded in a daze; I was just focused on getting to Soragakure. "Well Le, if you're sure….then I'm going to try something." I looked up at her; determination was written all over her face. It was so much like the look _she _once had, just not as cocky. She reached into her pack and got out a soldier pill.

"What's that going to do?"

"You wouldn't have noticed since you train alone now….but I've been trying to get faster. And when I pop this pill, I could be as fast as, possibly even faster than you." My thick eyebrows rose.

"But how….?" TenTen gave me an empty grin.

"I think its cuz, deep inside….I wanted to help in any way I could. To find my nee-chan. And even though I can't do much," TenTen ignored Neji's "Yes you do, stop downing yourself." look, "I figured that I should at least be fast enough to keep up with the action."

Neji looked at his wife with swelling pride. Then he turned to me. "We've got to hurry if we're going to get your speed demon of a fiancée, Lee. Then again, I don't think she'd be able to leave if you were there…"

I nodded. "Alright then, let's go." _'Kenisha-tenshi….I'm coming for you…and when I get there, I'm not going to let you go...'_

"Not again. Not this time…."

_Koneko's POV_

After collecting my bounty from the "Godfather", as I call the old fart, Kami-kun and I went back home as I'd promised. But as I jumped, I felt something. It felt…familiar, in some way. Like a lost memory that was dug up by years of mental therapy for an amnesiac. It felt like--

I did not just feel his presence just now. I did NOT just feel him.

"**Koneko, is something wrong?"**

"No, Kami-kun…it's nothing…" We were sitting on the grass in the Kimochi compound backyard, absorbing the silence. That is, until the overgrown wolf cub spoke again.

"**You know that I know when something's wrong with you." **His golden eyes were staring right through me.

"Your eyes are like your father's…." I gave him another one of my not-so-full smiles.

"**Don't try to change the subject, Koneko. I know…I know you're thinking about him again…" **Of course you seem reluctant to state the obvious.

"Yeah, I am….but it's kinda hard not to, you know? I mean…." My voice trailed off of its own accord. I hugged my knees and just stared at the grass, which was amazingly a rich green, even if no one was keeping care of it. I looked right at him and put on my serious face. "If you love someone as much as everyone should love their significant other…then it has to be pretty damn hard to live without them."

"**I don't get it…" **The wolf cocked his head like a child would at a hard question.

I gave him a "You're really fuckin' retarded, you know that?" look. "I mean like, if you really love them, then you'd never take an experience for granted, never leave anything undone or anything unsaid. And considering how L-" My breath caught when I tried to say his name. "Considering how he and I were during our early relationship, it could only get more complicated from there…"

"**What do you mean, Koneko? You've never told me about your early life in Konoha before."**

"I thought your dad would've told you. Well, let's just say he was a bit of a pussy around me when we were around others."

"**Which means….?"**

"He used to do almost everything I said, and let's just say it got really old after 5 months. And let's not forget he used to carry me around bridal-style practically everywhere after that battle with the Tsuchikage that one time…it was at the crack of dawn…"

**(Read ****A Year of Love and Lust****, Chapters 21-22 for the story, cuz I don't feel like Copying and Pasting at 3:02 in the morning…)**

"**That's badass!"**

"Yeah, I thought I'd get that reaction….but that was a long time ago….and that old bastard is dead." My fists balled up and my eyes watered as my mind, against my will, sent me down "memory lane", making me relive all the shit he put all of us through.

**(Read practically all of ****The War, The Aftermath**** and the Prologue of A Year of Love and Lust to get the gist of it.)**

After about 10 minutes, my old world faded and was replaced with reality, where Kami-kun was nudging me with his cold nose. **"Hey Koneko, snap out of it! I'm getting scared here!"**

Wordlessly, I got up and took out my iPod. I needed to have another angst fest. Kami-kun got the message and just laid there, his head on his front paws. He was gonna sleep while I went inside and did my thing. When I reached the deck I took my heeled boots off and ran to my room, locking the door behind me. Inside, I scanned my room for anything out of place. '_Walls same color, nothing moved,_ _blood still on the sheets…..good.'_

With that done, I took out a kunai and switched my iPod to the song Evil Angel by Breaking Benjamin. I turned it up all the way and looked at the picture of my family as I slid the blade across my wrist. My mother…my brother…my father…. I was singing along slowly, darting my eyes back from the picture to my bleeding wrist.

_Put me to sleep Evil Angel_

_Open your wings Evil Angel…_

_A-ah._

_I'm a believer,_

_Nothing could be worse,_

_All these imaginary friends _

Of course, that's what my friends are to me now; imaginary. Because if I ever see them again, it would hurt worse than not seeing them at all.

_Hiding betrayal,_

_Driving the nail,_

_Hoping to find a savior_

There is no savior for me….. I cut in further, feeling the warmth of my blood leave my body.

_No, don't_

_Leave me to die here_

_,_

_Help me survive here._

_Alone, don't_

_Surrender, surrender_

_Put me to sleep Evil Angel_

_Open your wings Evil Angel_

"K-Kill me….." I watched as the blood going through my veins went from blue to deep purple, to red. "K-Kill me….."

I was _this _close to putting it up to my neck and ending it. But, knowing my promise, I put the knife down and changed the song to Dance With the Devil by the same band.

_Here I stand, helpless and left for dead._

_Close your eyes, so many days go by._

_Easy to find what's wrong, harder to find what's right._

_I believe in you, I can show you that I can see right through all your empty lies _The lies I've been telling myself…

_I won't stay long, in this world so wrong._ My wrist was getting bloodier as I cut deeper and deeper. I thought back to when Lee and I were 17-18, and he wanted to break up. My heart couldn't take it. I extended my other wrist and cut myself there too.

_Say goodbye, as we dance with the devil tonight._

_Don't you dare look at him in the eye _The devil is the one who started all of this bullshit…. I should never use a mirror ever again.

_As we dance with the devil tonight_

_Trembling, crawling across my skin._

_Feeling your cold dead eyes, stealing the life of mine _His eyes were always staring right through me. He always knew how to make me weak…

_I believe in you, I can show you that I can see right through all your empty lies. _You say you love me….then why don't you kill me, then?

_I won't last long, in this world so wrong._

_Say goodbye, as we dance with the devil tonight. _If I could, I would. But not many people can dance by themselves….

_Don't you dare look at him in the eye_

_As we dance with the devil tonight_

I let the song play on its own as I put the knife away in a drawer that was filled with more bloodstained ones. I looked into my mirror, which was super glued to my vanity. Another promise I broke: I said I wouldn't look into another mirror because of the monster I'd see looking back at me. "This pain is nothing…..the body can always find a way to heal, or make do with what it can't do…but my mind is fucked. And there's nothing anyone can do about that…"

I felt a tremor go through my body as someone tried to locate me, using something other than the shard. _'It better not be a criminal…I'm not in the mood for civilian duties today…' _With that, I sat on my bed, unsheathed my katanas, and blasted The Hell Song in my iPod. I'd be ready for whoever came to ruin my already horrible day.

'_I don't want to die….not by a criminal's hands. And even then, if it was by who I asked, I wouldn't want to die….it would just be something that I had to do, for the welfare of others….because I care for them too much…'_

I could feel my blood slowly rolling down my hand, pooling in my palm, but I ignored it. "This pain is nothing…" I repeated, as if to remind myself that I'm living worse. I chuckled darkly. "I don't see how anyone could forget such a repulsive way to live…a life of no living at all….." Then I smiled one of my not-so-full smiles again. "But I wouldn't mind going back either. If this is a life of nothing, then what would it be like if someone were in it?"

_TenTen's POV_

As Lee's best friend and Kenisha's sister-like best friend, I had an obligation to come to try and apprehend her. But _Kami-sama_, did we need to go so damn fast? I didn't know how fast Lee had gotten since he never trains with us or Gai-sensei anymore…..He'd probably leave us if we slowed down any.

I guess that's what he has to do to see her again.

"Hey Neji-koi…" He glided over to me.

"Hai?" His looks are always so serious, but I guess he went overboard considering Lee is one of his only brother-like friends.

"Do you think Lee's in the right state of mind?" I looked up ahead at the young man in question. "I mean….don't you think it's time he moved on? I mean, I want her back as much as he does, but don't you think it's a little strange that she only revealed herself to him and not the rest of us?"

"Well TenTen-ai, would you reveal yourself to someone who you asked to _kill you_?"

I gave him a look. Sometimes I hated his logic. "Well, I would if I wanted to die, but it's been 3 years now…" My eyes widened. "Do you think she really wants to die, Neji-koi?"

He shook his head. "If she'd wanted to die, she wouldn't ask us to do it, now would she?" Realization flooded me.

"_Holy fuckin' shit_….."

"Shit isn't holy, but fuck, on the other hand….Well, that isn't holy either…" His cheeks reddened.

"You saved yourself there, bud. I would've hurt you otherwise…"

"You can't hurt me; I'm your husband, and a damn sexy one at that!" He looked around and didn't find me there. "Hey, where'd you go?"

"Hurry up unless you want to fall behind, Neji-koi," I called from next to Lee. I turned to my best friend and relayed everything Neji and I talked about about Kenisha to him. He smiled a little.

"That puts my heart at ease…Arigatou, TenTen."

"How many times do I have to tell you to call me TenTen-_chan_?"

"Just about a hundred times more, I guess." He chuckled. The news about her not being suicidal must've cheered him up big time.

"Aw, you little guy!" I gave him a ninja-noogie and he started squirming.

"Itai! Itai! Itai! Stop it, TenTen! You're messing up my hair!" I let go of him and smiled.

"Feelin' better now, Lee?" He smiled too.

"I'd feel better if Kenisha-koi was here, but yeah, I'm feeling loads better than I was. Arigatou, TenTen."

"Stop being so formal, you're making me feel old!"

"Well you are about 6 months older than me," he retorted, sticking his tongue out like a child. I guess some things never change.

"Shut up!"

"No, you!" We stopped on a branch to play-glare at each other.

"Grrr!" He got in my face! Oh no he di'int!

"Grrr!" I got right up in his face and we had a "Grrr" contest.

"Both of you settle down before I have to slap you!"

We both turned to see a very pissed off Neji. "Aw, Neji-koi, don't be like that! I'm just cheering Lee up, that's all!" His expression softened.

"Alright. But don't take long: We have a Kimochi to save!"

I laughed. "Neji-koi, you sound like Superman!"

"Well, I should be at least _your_ Superman, TenTen-ai." He winked at Lee and I reddened while Lee had a laughing fit.

"Dammit! We've got a Kimochi to rescue! Let's get our asses moving!"

"Hai, hai, don't get your panties in a bunch, TenTen!" I growled and he shut up. After that we sped to Soragakure, where Lee's necklace glowed brighter and Neji used his Byakugan.

"Hey guys…I think you should see this…"

"Well, we can't exactly look through your eyes, Neji! You need to tell us!"

He gulped and looked at Lee. "Well, first off, there's a giant wolf-thing in the backyard that looks like he can read my thoughts."

"_And?_"

"Kenisha is in her room, and she looks really pissed. Her wrists are bleeding for some reason, perhaps she cut herself with those katanas of hers…Holy shit!"

"What?"

"It's like she's staring right at me, like she can feel me watching her!" I laughed.

"Neji-koi, you know that that isn't possible!"

"Oh, it is! She's glaring!" I felt Lee vault of into the compound beside me.

"Let's go Neji-koi!"

"Right!" We jumped off into the air and landed in the backyard of the compound, where the wolf resided. Lee was already in front of it, kneeling.

It noticed us and gave what I thought was a smile. **"Are you some of Koneko's friends?" **I gasped; the thing could talk!

"Um, yeah, I'm Hyuuga TenTen, this is Hyuuga Neji, and you already know Lee. Who're you?"

"**I'm Mizukamimaru, but you can call me either Ookami or Kami-kun, if you want! Do you know where my father is? Did you bring him with you?" **So this is Ookami, Hokkaido's son, the one that Shizuke mentioned in his vision.

"Um, Lee could summon him if you want him to. But right now we're concerned with Kenisha-nee-chan." It felt good to say her name like that again. "Is she in her room?"

"**Yeah, but be sure not to piss her off! She almost kicked my ass to the Land of Waves when I wouldn't share any of my curry with her!" **I couldn't resist laughing. _'So she really hasn't changed, has she?' _**"I'll go tell her you guys are here, hang on!"**

Kami-kun's golden eyes went a little glossy for a moment, and then went back to normal. **"She'll be out in three, two, one…"**

"….Ohayo, guys. What's up?" Her enthusiasm was gone, but the way her eyes were jumping with joy, I knew she was happy to see us. But looking at the rest of her body…

I just gaped. _'Oh my Kami-sama…she has changed….'_

Her eyes fell on Lee and I saw them water a little. "L-Lee-koishi?" Her voice faltered a little; it was obvious that she had been crying before we got here.

"Hai?" Lee cautiously took a step closer to her; Kenisha still had her katanas in hand.

"Are you really there, or is it some other vision of you, like last night?" I couldn't believe this; Lee was right!

"Iie, Kitten-koi. It's really me." The way he looked at her; with so much love and affection, I felt like I should leave. Looking to my left, I saw Neji studying her. He was probably thinking the same thing I was: _'Is she willing to come back with us?'_

_Neji's POV_

She still seemed hesitant to approach us. But her eyes were showing such longing. Just like TenTen, I could read people by the eyes. Being a Hyuuga can give you that ability.

Kenisha walked cautiously to Lee, not out of fear he would hurt her, but out of fear he wasn't there. I'm just guessing, of course, but I'm usually right about these things. I had had the same thing happen to me after my father was killed. '_But to have the one you love still alive, but not be able to see them; it must be a living hell.'_

I stole a quick glance at TenTen as I thought this; leaving her side would be just as terrible.

"Just look at me, koi." Lee held out his arms and smiled. "Is this not me?" Kenisha flinched a little, and I have another guess at why. She was probably told that many times in her dreams, and has Lee turn into something else: a complete monster, perhaps. Once again, the same thing had happened to me many times in my youth.

Suddenly, she disappeared, but when TenTen pointed, I saw that she was behind Lee, holding his waist in a hug. "Why did you wait come here after all these years?" Lee turned around in her embrace and held her.

"It wasn't that I waited; it was just that I couldn't find you. You're a pretty elusive bounty hunter, you know that right?"

She looked up into his eyes, and I could tell that she still couldn't believe he was really here. I gestured to TenTen and she approached the couple. She tapped Kenisha's shoulder and Kenisha turned around.

"Hey Kenisha-nee-chan, I missed ya, ya know!"

"T…TenTen-nee-chan?" I was a little surprised that she used the name that she called TenTen back in the village 3 years ago. But then again, what would she call her otherwise?

"Hai?" TenTen joined the hug and Kenisha's eyes brimmed with tears.

"Oh my Kami-sama, how'd you guys--"

She found out I was there and must've figured everything out. "Hey Neji, why don't you join in the merriment? Hop in!"

I shrugged and walked over, slowly. I had to keep caution, unlike the others. We still weren't sure if she was a threat. But when I saw the genuine smile on her face as I wrapped my arms around them all, I knew that she wouldn't be hurting anyone today.

Because it was just like what I did when TenTen came into my life.

_Koneko's POV_

I hadn't felt this happy in a long time. All I knew was that I wanted it to be like this forever; this natural high, this love all around me. But I had to ask it, just in case.

"…Guys….did you come here to bring me back?"

I could tell that they didn't want to answer, but Lee did it for them. "Hai, we did." I frowned a little. I could tell he was hiding something.

"I'm still your fiancée, Lee-koishi. What are you hiding from me?"

Enter shocked faces. They obviously weren't expecting me to be so blunt. Well, I was blunt when I left, wasn't I? Geez, they were probably expecting a killer…though I guess with my profession you could say that I am.

"I'm not hiding anything, except the fact that I was expecting some sort of a fight. And I'm expecting an explanation for those cuts on your wrists." So he's gotten some confidence over the years; my leaving made him stronger, more commanding. It almost made me flinch.

I put my head down and began to lift my sleeves, slowly. "You want to know about these cuts on my body?" I rolled them up just as slowly. I think that they're about to piss themselves, with the way their faces look. "Then I guess you want to know where all of these came from, right?" On my arms were countless knife scars, some thicker or thinner than the other, all of them with their own songs, their own stories. It was like the scars on my body were parts of a lighter person's skin melded onto my own; a totally different person.

TenTen had to turn away and bury her head in Neji's shoulder; she's probably seen much worse than scars, but not if a person inflicted the wounds on themselves. I hated doing this to her. Neji wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tried to comfort her; he knew all too well that this would scar her for life. My Lee-koishi just looked at me with the most wounded expression I've ever seen. But I need to tell them, show them what I've done to atone for the cost of my self-imposed exile.

"These are the scars of all of those angst moments I have because I left. And they kept going further up my arm, until I had to cut in the same place more than once. Because I'm never going to bring that kunai up to here." I pointed at my neck. "I'm not taking my own life; I'm just not living one."

Lee balled up his fists in disturbance. "So you're saying that you're the only one with scars?" He suddenly shot toward me and held my arms up, my blood getting on his hands. "Does it really matter if they're visible? Can't emotional scars qualify; can't they qualify as true heart break? You chose to hurt yourself and others by leaving. You're still hurting us. We're all scarred; everyone that knew you and loved you is scarred. Because we missed 3 years of our lives, because they weren't with you." He let go of my arms and turned away from me. I felt like he burned me, and my heart wouldn't stop hammering. "Did you know that nowadays it never stops raining? Do you think that you're the cause of it?"

Now that confused me. I hadn't used a jutsu in years, unless you count the Fusion jutsu. So I told him the truth. "Iie, I don't think I'm the cause, because I didn't create it. And I doubt that a Kami-sama I don't believe in would waste his tears on me." My head was feeling fuzzy; I must've cut deeper than I'd realized. "I have no divine savior…or else he would've answered my silent prayers…to have all of this to end, to have things go back to the way things were…." No, I did not add pauses for dramatic effect. It's just that my head feels buzzed. Oh shit, my vision's getting blurry; I did cut too deep.

"…Kenisha-nee-chan, daijoubuka?" TenTen had come out of Neji's shoulder and walked cautiously toward my now swaying form.

"Iie…" I held onto my head, and then realized that I had felt a similar pain. It was on that mission, when Itachi stabbed me…it seems so long ago… "…Dammit…!" My eyes closed and I fell to my knees.

"Kenisha-koi!" I felt a hand on my shoulder as my blood stained the grass. I felt so weak, weaker than I should after an angst session. I think it's because I have everyone around me, and just seeing them must've taxed my strength.

"Dammit…!" My hands twitched as my veins became clearly visible through my skin; deep purple webs criss-crossing on my arms. His taped hand was on my cheek; I wish I could feel his skin on mine. _'Just another of my twisted desires I guess…but I do…I really do…' _"Hey, get down here…." Lee's face was up in mine and I took the opportunity to whisper in his ear, "I've needed to do this for 3 years…." I went lower and closer to his lips, until my lips captured his in a much desired kiss.

After a few moments, I laid my head down on the grass and smiled up at him; my first genuine smile to him since I left him in Konohagakure. "I hope you needed that as much as I did…" I sighed and then closed my eyes again, this time because they felt heavy. "Ja ne, minna-san….I'll be back…after I get some sleep…."

* * *

**Ookami: Dude, that was deep!**

**Lee: Shhhhhhhhh! –turns back to Kenisha- Don't be so loud… -pets hair-**

**TenTen: Please shut up for a sec, Kami-kun. –looks onward- Dear Kami-sama…**

**Neji: Hn. –closes eyes and stands like a statue at TenTen's side- This is a little awkward….**

**Lee: Kenisha-koi –takes hand-….you're not going to hurt anymore…!**


	4. Reunions

**Chapter Three- Reunions**

_Koneko's POV_

I felt myself being pulled into that place again, but this time, it was dark, and the pain was getting worse.

"_Hermione….Itachi….what's happening to me?"_

"_Don't worry, it's nothing that you need to worry about…."_

"_I'm scared of what will happen…."_

"_We know, but you just have to deal with it, Kenisha…"_

_I closed my eyes. "I don't think I can…I'm not sure if I can…."_

"_You've experienced worse, remember that."_

"_I do….it's just that being here hurts me too…"_

"_How do you know where you are if you haven't opened your eyes to find out?"_

"_I think I just know…it's like I'm back where I need to be…"_

"_We'll see…In the meantime, open your eyes, someone is here to see you…."_

"_Really? Then where am I?"_

_They chuckled. "Well, we thought you knew. Go on and open your eyes, Kenisha, and you'll like what you see…."_

_I took a breath and swallowed. "Alright…"

* * *

_

My nose twitched as I slowly opened my eyes again. I'm in a strange place that smells like antiseptic and anesthesia. How can I smell anesthesia? I just can, end of story.

My arms were killing me, and all I cared about was getting better at the moment, cuz I really fuckin' hate hospitals!! I thought they said I'd see something good! "…Fuck…"

"You're awake?" '_Ok, now I like what I see.'_ When Lee's soft voice filled my ears I remembered everything that happened yesterday. _'Damn, that kiss felt like getting high on pain…just without the knife…,'_ I thought darkly, wishing that I had the energy to laugh.

"Yeah, I'm awake….What time is it?" He gestured in the direction of the window; the sun was high in the sky. "Almost noon, huh? Damn, I slept in big time."

"There's no need to keep a schedule right now; you're still not fully healed." The room fell silent until I sighed.

"Can I at least get out this stupid hospital for a little bit?" I pouted a little; it worked with Kami-kun every time.

"Iie. I'm not letting you leave." Holy shit! Lee-koishi's developed immunity to my irresistible pout! Damn him! I crossed my arms and looked out the window with a longing look I knew was there.

"I wonder how the….others are doing…" I absentmindedly messed with the needles in my arms. One had painkillers in it, some others were dripping antibiotics in my body for some reason, and the others were giving me more blood. Stupid angst moments…

"They're fine, and they'll be ecstatic when they hear you're back. As I am…" He put his bare hand on my cheek, and that's when I took a real good look at him. He was shirtless, which sorta surprised me; and not just because he'd gotten even more toned since I'd seen him last. He had some more battle scars across his chest and it looked like his abdomen wasn't able to move to freely on its own. _'Must be cuz of the muscle...'_ He was wearing what looked like the leggings I saw him wear last time I was here, but they were covered by ANBU shin guards and black combat boots. More importantly, the hand that was on my cheek had some new scars.

"Gomen nasai, Lee-koishi…"

"You've got nothing to be sorry about; you weren't yourself when you left."

"And I'm still not myself, Lee-koi. I'm the farthest thing from it…" I looked down at my hands; they had dried blood on them. I bunched them into fists so I couldn't see the crimson sorrow. "I'm not myself anymore…"

_Sasuke's POV_

"Sasuke-ai, it'd be swell if you got the hell off me." I awoke with a start and relaxed when I realized I was just in bed and lying across my wife's body. Again.

"Gomen, Emily-tenshi, I promise I won't do it again."

"You said that last night, hun. And--"

Suddenly two kids jumped on our bed and giggled. "Wake up guys," they screamed in unison, jumping on us. The girl had flaming middle-back length red hair and astonishing green eyes, even though I had black and Emily's were grayish-blue. She had birthmarks on her cheeks that looked like snake bites to the common person. She was clad in the traditional nightgown with little puppies on it. Her brother had short sleek black hair and permanent crimson red eyes. Once again, they had no explanation for his beyond belief eye color. He had similar birthmarks on his cheeks, but his were longer and rougher. He had on black pajama bottoms and was shirtless. His chest was a little more muscular than the average 7 year olds. Then again, an average 7 year old isn't a ninja.

"Sin…Natsuma…calm down, Mommy's tired…." Emily pulled the covers over her face, hiding her smile.

I smirked and grabbed the twins in my arms. "What have we told you two about waking us up?"

"Don't do it unless it's a dire emergency or if you forgot something important, like our birthday-" Sin crossed her arms and smiled. She's too much like her mother.

"-Or your anniversary-" Natsuma finished her sentence. He just smirked and moved his head slightly to the side. That's my son for you.

"-Or a mission!" They both finished together and gave me a huge glomp.

"Hey, what about your Mom? I feel so used…" Emily gave them a fake sad face and they immediately glomped her too. I smiled at the sight. But as they jumped and ran around her, Emily looked blank.

"Emily-tenshi?" I waved my hand in front of her face and she just looked out in the direction of the window. "Uchiha Emily, daijoubu ka?" She snapped back to life and gave me a deep concerned look.

"Katie just sent me a message: I feel _her_, and she's in the village." My eyes widened; she'd been saying these words so many times in the past, I'd neglected to believe they were true. But then I felt it too. No twin telepathy required.

"Kids, get ready. There's someone special we need to visit in the hospital." They groaned.

"Do we have to? I've gotta train with Hinata-sensei today! She doesn't appreciate lateness," Natsuma said seriously, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, and Kiba-sensei doesn't like me to lag behind! Last time I did he tied me to a tree and let Akamaru pee on my favorite shoes," Sin shrieked, pouting.

"And that's why Daddy beat the living sh-" I became wary of my wife's gaze and changed words, "I mean crap outta him when he saw him at the grocery store yesterday. But this time, we really have to go. It's something for Mommy, not me."

Sin and Natsuma looked their mother with worried eyes, and as if on cue, Sin nodded. "I know who it is. We'll get there later. You guys go ahead. C'mon Natsu-nii-chan, we gotta hurry!"

He seemed to know as soon as she looked at him. Damn, I hate that twin telepathy thing. "Hai. LET'S GO!!" They both ran to their respective bathrooms and got in the shower. After they left, I turned to Emily, who was shaking.

"She's….She's actually here, Sasuke-ai. Not just a daydream or an illusion. She's really back." I kissed her on top of her head and rubbed her back to calm her down.

"C'mon, E-koi, let's take a shower and get going." She nodded and gave him a peck on the lips.

"Alright. But you know this means you're not getting' any when we get home."

"Duh. I'll be getting some while we shower. Now get your sexy white ass in there!" I smacked it and she reddened a little. She gave me a serious look and I knew a lecture was coming.

"They're 7 now, Sasu-ai. They're gonna realize that we're not just "practicing for Italian Idol" eventually."

"But eventually isn't now, is it?" Emily grinned and lifted her nightgown over her head, throwing it to the floor, now in nothing but a sports bra and lacy panties. I felt arousal coming in from down in my boxers and I growled possessively.

"Come and get it."

_Katie's POV_

"Shin-chan, quiet down, we're in a hospital!"

"But Daddy!" The little 3 year old was not having it. Her dark auburn hair swished around when she shook her head in disagreement and her black eyes pierced into my poor husband. When my daughter wants something, she wants it now. But I just don't feel obliged to give it to her.

"Mommy, tell Daddy to give me that toy!" I picked up my naïve little girl and sat down in a chair.

"One, baby, that kunai knife isn't a toy. It's a dangerous weapon that could be used to slit your throat or stab you in your chest; it is a _murder_ weapon. Two, _ask him for something else that you know you can't have and I'm not going to let you see your friends until next week_. Three, please be quiet, like your father asked. You should listen to him too, you know. Otherwise, you wouldn't be here." I sat her down in the seat beside mine to absorb all of that information. Luckily, she was born of two geniuses, so it didn't take long.

"Hai Kaa-san!"

"How many times have I told you to call me Mommy?"

"Can't count that high yet, gomen." Oh, do I dislike that logical humor of hers. I pinched my forehead in between my first two fingers and felt my glasses rise up. Yamato offered me a glass of water, which I took gratefully.

"Geez, this child of ours…Gotta love her, huh hime?" Yamato looked at her fondly, then at me. His eyes were screaming "You're not leaving bed tonight, AT ALL. You're mine." I just grinned slyly at him. Yeah, the 8 year age difference doesn't affect our sex life. You can gag up your breakfast now.

I'm 23 years old, have one child, one faithful husband, and a fucked up family. Ring any bells? Yeah, I'm Katie, one of the last of the Kimochi clan. No, I'm not going to tell you my last name; that's confidential. Right now I'm waiting for my sister and other friends to get their asses here.

"How long do your telepathic twin messages take?"

"Not long at all. Emily-nee-chan's just being slow." I opened a weathered book I found on the rack and began to read the first paragraph. But not a second later, a small tapping on my shoulder interrupted me. "Yes, Shin-chan?" **(Me: OMFG, I JUST REALIZED WHAT I DID THERE! THAT'S COOL! I fuckin' love that show!)**

"Aunty TenTen's here, and so is Aunty Hinata and Aunty Ino."

"You're forgetting your favorite aunty," a voice from in front of me said. I looked up from my daughter's face to be met with my twin's.

"Took you all long enough."

"Well, Sasu-ai and I had to take a shower, y'know…." She rubbed the back of her head sheepishly and I got the picture. _'Damn, they really have to stop doing that. Sin and Natsuma aren't retarded, they're gonna find out….'_

"Kids, go play in the play room," I said sweetly to the small children of my friends and family. They all followed Sin and Natsuma, who were the oldest, into the baby play room. A few seconds later the wo 7 year olds reappeared.

"You can't just dump them on us like that, Aunty Katie. We're only 7, I don't want any wrinkles on _my_ ass, thank you," Sin said proudly, and then got smacked in the back of her head by her mother.

"STOP CURSING, DAMMIT!" Sasuke sighed; this must happen all too often at home.

"Oh, and you're setting such a wonderful example," Hinata drawled sarcastically, taking a seat next to me; Yamato remained standing.

"So we all know why we're here," TenTen asked the group, and all of us nodded.

"When the hell did the little speed demon get back here, anyway," Ino asked impatiently, bobbing her foot up and down in the air as she crossed her legs.

"You'd do better to ask me and not the air, Ino-chan," TenTen replied, leaning against the wall. The blonde responded by rolling her eyes. The brunette continued. "We got Kenisha-nee-chan back last night and she's in a recovery unit of the hospital at the moment. I'd advise that we all go in there with caution, because after what I saw, I'm not sure if any shockers are needed." Neji immediately put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

I looked around once and spotted some people missing. "Where are Sai, Naruto, and Lee? Anda bunch of other people that should be here right now?"

"The other people, as in Shikamaru and Temari, are in Sunagakure for important business. Sai-koi and Naruto are on a mission somewhere, and Lee is-"

"Did somebody ask for me?" Lee had arrived and sat in the seat next to TenTen and Neji. He sighed and held his hands out in front of him, his elbows resting on his knees.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just…I'm just…" He began to shake and I covered my ears. "I FEEL LIKE FUCKIN' SUPERMAN, DAMMIT," he yelled, standing up and raising his arms above his head.

"LEE-KOISHI, SHUT THE HELL UP, THE OLD LADY IN THE ROOM IS FUCKIN' PISSED AT ME NOW!!" I heard some confused babbling then, "SHUT UP, YOU OLD HAG WITH NO ASS!!" Her voice…

We all gasped and every eye went to Lee. He gave us a beaming smile and beckoned us to follow him. When we came up to Room 23-C, my heart pounded and I grabbed Yamato's hand.

"She's in there, isn't she?" I can't believe I just asked such a stupid question.

"No duh, Katie-nee-chan, can't you hear her?" Emily tried to look tough, but I knew that on the inside she was just as anxious as I was.

_Koneko's POV_

As I tried to strangle the old lady in the bed near mine, I heard the door open. I thought it was a nurse, so I quickly went back to my bed and whistled.

"Kenisha-koi, you really aren't that sneaky…"

I heard Lee's voice and beamed. "Well you're one to talk, you little--" I stopped talking as soon as I saw everyone in the door.

"Oh great, more young people," the lady grunted beside me.

"WOULD YOU FUCKIN' SHUT UP FOR TWO SECONDS, PLEASE!?"

"There's no need to be loud, Kenisha-chibi. She'll shut up eventually, I mean, she has an _expiration date_." I spotted Katie and Yamato at the foot of my bed; Katie was grinning at me. "What's up, you little illiterate rascal, you?" I couldn't help it, I had to hug the shit outta her.

"I-I'm choking!!"

"And you're supposed to care, why?" I rubbed my cheek all over her cheek, causing her glasses to fall off. After letting go and smiling like a madman, I said, "So, where's your kid, K-nee-chan?"

"She's in the play room, why?"

"I wanna see it; in fact, I wanna see all of your kids! I gotta see how they turned out!"

"We're already here, Aunty Kenisha!" I looked down at my knees and saw two little kids that I assumed were Sin and Natsuma.

"Well, where's my hug?" Kami-sama, I should not have said that. They mega-glomped me, giggling like mad, causing the needles in my arms to move around a little; one of them actually fell out. It hurt. "Hai…you need to stop glomping me now…" I'm guessing that the one that fell out was the one for my blood.

"C'mon kids, get off your Aunty. You're hurting her." They immediately jumped off me, but their feet knocked the air outta my lungs. Emily approached next to me and smiled. "Yup, those kids are mine. Miss 'em much?"

"Loads." I hugged her a little softer than I hugged Katie, but it still sent the same message. "I missed you too, y'know…"

"Yeah, I kinda assumed that already." She let go of me and looked at Sasuke. He was just standing there, so I saved him from embarrassment.

"He doesn't have to hug me if he doesn't want to. Besides, when have we _ever_ hugged?"

"Never. And it's about time he started," Emily gave him the "I am your evil manipulative wife now go do as I say" look. He sighed in defeat and gave me a one-armed hug.

"Nice to have you back."

"Same to you." I scanned the room to see who I hadn't hugged yet. "Ino, I give you permission to glomp the shit outta me."

"YAY!!" A blonde blur attacked me. I took a deep breath as she let go of me and kissed my forehead. "Y'know, girl, you really gotta let me come over later. I gotta give you another MAKEOVER!!" I grimaced; a little because of pain but also because Ino's makeovers didn't usually go well for me.

Hinata walked up to me and smiled. "Well, it really is nice to have you back, so now Lee can stop beating the crap outta Naru-koishi when he gets angry." Lee gave me a sheepish smile and laughed.

"Well than it really is a good thing I'm here, isn't it?" I gave her a tight hug and she giggled. "What?"

"Nothing; your hair just tickles!" We all laughed and she leaned on the wall with the others.

"Anyone else want a hug before I go into deep story mode?" They all shook their heads and Lee came up to me. "I thought you said you didn't want a hug, Lee-koishi."

"Yeah, but that's because I'm not going for just a hug." Then he promptly kissed me, so hard that I fell back onto my pillows, with him aiding them in cushioning my head. I tried to respond with as much vigor as he had, but I was still weak, so I just let him do what he needed until—

"LEE, NOT IN HERE!!" His hand was still on the thin ties of my hospital robe. I was blushing an insane crimson: Why the hell did he try to do that?

"TenTen-nee-chan, I gotta remember to get you a really awesome present for your birthday," I managed to say after my fiancée got off of me. "But I gotta admit, once I get better," I seductively grinned at Lee, "I'm gonna let you do that right."

"It's nothing and thank you for the wonderful image you just bombed in my brain," TenTen said sarcastically, waving her hand in a "Just let it slide" way.

"Well, you want the story?" They all nodded. "OK…. Well, it all started after I left you guys I became a bounty hunter…..and kicked major ass with Kami-kun and stuff, but I still missed you all a lot. And as you can see," I held up my arms for everyone to see, "it got to me big time." Ino and TenTen had to turn away and Katie and Emily had tears in their eyes. I really do hated doing this to them, but they needed to know. "Anyway, there's something that I really need K-nee-chan and E-nee-chan to know." The two leaned in and I sighed.

"Hermione-nee-chan is on the border of Heaven and Hell with Itachi, and they're sorta acting as……guardian angels for me. It's really weird, believe me…" I looked back at my wrists. "They must've stopped this from getting too far."

Emily nodded and Katie removed her glasses and bit the tip of them in her mouth; another weird habit of hers. "Well, I can't say I'm surprised: You were on the borderline of suicidal then; if Kami-sama couldn't help you, someone else had to. It's just common sense."

"Well, I'm sorry that I'm retarded and you're smarter than Shikamaru. It's just something I thought would be….something useful to you--"

"I'm not saying it wasn't useful, I'm just saying that it was expected." I pouted and flipped back down to my pillows.

"Fine. Anyone got any stories they wanna share?" Ino immediately jumped up but Sin and Natsuma got to me first.

"Mommy and Daddy are doing it in the shower now!!" Emily and Sasuke reddened and covered their faces.

I laughed my ass off. "What the hell- have you been doing all this time? How did they find out….I wonder?"

"It must've happened today when they had to hurry," Katie deducted, giving them an evil grin.

"I told you they'd eventually find out," Emily hissed to Sasuke, who kept his head down. I wiped away a laughing tear and stared at the group.

"Anyone else?"

Ino kept her hand raised and I pointed at her. "OK, you already know that I was pregnant when you left, right?" I nodded. "Well, the kid is at my parent's now. They wanted to "keep the Yamanaka kekkei genkai flowing". I mean, I could've taught her easy! I just couldn't get Kawaii to shut up!"

I gaped. "You named your daughter "cute"? What if she came out with….an ass for a face?" Ino wagged her finger at me.

"She's the offspring of Sai-koishi and I, and we're the most beautiful people in the village, thank you! Besides, she's already attracting people!"

"If you mean elderly villagers that love to pinch her cheeks, then hai, Kawaii is attracting a lot of people." Hinata loves her sarcasm, doesn't she?

"Yeah, Ino, I think it's safe to say that I never want to hear the word "offspring" out of your mouth….. ever again. OK then, Hinata, how about you?"

She blushed; I guess old habits die hard. "Well, Naruto-koi is next in line for Hokage…" I gave her thumbs up. "Arigatou. And I get to be second in command for the Hyuuga clan, thank Kami-sama. Oh, and I have a son! His name is Uzumaki Minato!"

"Wow, so you just remembered the _wonders_ of the result of sex, huh? Wait, whoa- if you're second, then who's the Head of the Hyuuga clan? I can't be Naruto, I mean…wait a minute….. I'm sounding retarded, aren't I?"

"Incredibly." Neji finally spoke. I just can't get over the dramatic effect he uses when he does that. He smirked. "By the way, you're looking at the new Head of the Hyuuga clan." I bet TenTen-nee-chan is having an orgasm right now. She's hittin' the Head of the Hyuuga clan!

"Then shouldn't you have an heir….. or heiress something by now?"

"I did say "new" didn't I? I was given the position last week; Uncle still hasn't stopped sulking. He didn't want me there in the first place, let alone the ruler of his clan."

"Well then it's a good thing the elders finally took a liking to you, didn't they? They still haven't gotten over you marrying "that bun-headed girl with that unhealthy obsession with ninja weapons"," TenTen said softly, resting her head on Neji's shoulder, holding his hand. Neji gave her a look, and they both fell silent. I really felt sorry for them.

"Katie, Emily, you guys….. haven't said anything."

"I really don't think there's a need to. All I had was a kid since you left, a couple close calls, and the same job for 3 years. Everything's peachy-keen here," Katie drawled, sliding her glasses back on.

"I've gotten a couple close calls too, having sex as usual, my kids are driving me up the wall but loving them too damn much to care, and keeping it real. Nothing special to report," Emily said lazily. She looked at where her kids were and didn't spot them anywhere. "Sasuke-ai, where the FUCK ARE--"

"Don't have an- what did Daddy call it? Oh yeah, don't have an orgasm, Mommy, we're right here, and we brought everybody," Natsuma said cheerfully, bowing dramatically as the younger kids filed into the room.

"Great, more youn--"

"If you say one word….. you freaking' old person…" I swear, the lady is gonna fuckin' kill me one day. But as I laid my eyes on the kids, my anger was washed away as if by my old water jutsu.

One of the younger ones walked up to my bed and pulled on my sheets. I smiled and I think that made him get crazy or something, cuz then he screamed, "HEY LADY! My Mommy said that you were a friend of Bushy Eyebrow-dude, so you must be fun! I'M UZUMAKI MINATO, AND I'M GONNA BE THE 8TH HOKAGE!" I raised an eyebrow at Hinata.

"This one yours?" She blushed and nodded.

"He's a bunch like his father, down to the hair." True he had the impossibly spiky hair, but it was midnight blue. His eyes weren't exactly Hyuuga eyes; they were cerulean blue like Naruto's as well, but they had no pupils. _'Well that is incredibly odd….' _He had on a black T-shirt and orange shorts that exposed his skinny knees and sandaled feet. And his freaky whiskered face was right up in mine, believe it or not.

"Mommy, she doesn't look like the pictures you let me look at…"

"One, I didn't let you look at them, you stole them from Mommy's desk and Two, my friend is older now--"

"SHE'S OLD?! LIKE BAA-CHAN OLD, OR LIKE YOU OLD? CUZ YOU'RE LIKE 22, AREN'T YA?!" I had to hold my ribs to keep from bursting out into mad, insane laughter, which hurt my arms like hell. Hinata had a huge vein pulsing in her head and she had her hand raised.

"No, Minato-kun, she's a year younger than Mommy, but you should never say Mommy's age in public….UNDERSTAND?" I think he just shit his shorts! But besides that, I took a good look at the other kids. I could already pick out who Katie's was.

"Hey redhead, c'mere for a sec." The little girl complied and I lifted her up and smiled. "Guess what?"

"You're my Kaa-san's uke-nin cousin, aren't you?" Cue sweat drop.

"You told her everything….. didn't you K-nee-chan?" She shrugged and picked up her kid.

"Shin-chan's my child, didn't you think that she'd be as smart as me?"

"So she's a smart-ass…..that loves to torture others with her over-large brain?" She glared at me, but Shin smiled.

"Yup! Natsuma still can't figure out that riddle I gave him!"

"WHAT THE HELL BURNS WHEN YOU FLICK A SWITCH BUT DOESN'T CREATE FIRE!?" Damn, I think that bitchy lady just went deaf…though I don't see how it could be a bad thing…

"A light bulb," I guessed and Shin smiled.

"You got it!"

"Damn Emily-nee-chan, your kid's….retarded!" She glared.

"At least he can kick ass! Shin-chan just sits there and plays with Minato…..I think he _likes_ her, Katie-nee…"

"Yeah, yeah, don't remind me…"

As the others bickered, I took a look at Lee. He was just staring at me, and I felt the longing in his eyes. "Hey Lee-koi." His eyes went unfocused for a minute, and then focused on me.

"Hai?"

"Why is everyone so….so…."

"So okay with you being back after all this time?" I shrugged. "It's not just because we warned them, you know. They really love you, Kenisha-koi." I nodded and sighed.

"But I wish the doctors loved me enough….to let me out." I frowned at my arm, which wasn't really bleeding anymore, just sitting there with a line of blood going down it into my palm. Damn, I need that fucking needle….

"They're concerned, that's all. It isn't everyday that a missing ninja comes back after a self exile."

"Sasuke did, why should I be any different?"

"Because you weren't a threat to Konoha, Kenisha," Sasuke said suddenly; bastard must've overheard our conversation. "You're different because you left for indirect suicide, not for power. You're different because you had people that searched for you, not just your only best friends. You're different because you had something precious and worth living for here and you were willing to throw it all away."

Emily shot him a "You said too much" look then stared at me like the rest of the room was. I chuckled a little. "Yeah, I guess you're right. But that doesn't mean I should be treated any….different."

"But I just said--"

"You don't have to be a threat….to Konoha to be dangerous. You can be a threat to yourself, can't you?" I think everybody but Katie forgot that there were children present.

"Hey Shin, go in the playroom, alright? And take Minato with you."

"Hai, Kaa-san." Damn, that 3 year old is obedient.

"Hey Mommy, why is Aunty a threat to herself? It can't be cuz she left for a long mission, right?" I took a long look at Sin then at her mother. _'She must've been trying to protect them from the pain she's been feeling…'_

"You must be some damn good parents to have….told them such bullshit. That….means you love them a lot, don't you?"

They pulled their twins closer to them. "Yeah, we do." I sensed some emotion coming on, and as I looked on, I saw Emily's eyes watering.

"Please don't cry….don't cry, Emily, you're supposed to be the strong one--" I wasn't aware of the shitload of trouble I was about to get into when she interrupted.

"WELL MAYBE IT'S YOUR FUCKIN' TURN TO BE THE GOD DAMN STRONG ONE, ALRIGHT?! IF YOU WERE STRONG, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE LEFT AND WE WOULDN'T BE I THIS GOD DAMN SITUATION WITH YOU QUESTIONING _MY _STRENGTH!! JESUS CHRIST, KENISHA, IT'S BEEN 3 FUCKING YEARS, I THINK I SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO CRY NOW!!"

Let's just say I feel like a bag of rat shit right now. _'I can't even say I'm sorry to them…I've done too much damage.' _

"Aunty, it'd be nice if you shared your thoughts with the rest of the room," said a new voice. Even if I hadn't heard it since he was 5, I knew who it was.

"Hey Shizuke-chan." He stood up from the door frame and smiled at me.

"Hey." I saw his eyes and I knew he had his Kushingan activated; teh same jutsu that tried to track me down 3 years ago. I felt my body go tense as I relived those heart-breaking memories. But I took a deep breath and willed them away, giving my little friend a grin.

"Well, where's my hug?" His Kushingan faded and I relaxed a little.

"You're not getting a hug today unless you do what I've asked…"

"Why?"

"Because you still haven't shared your thoughts with the rest of the room, and they have a right as your loved ones to know. It'd also be better if you told them, not the newcomer such as me."

I huffed. "Fine." But I don't think the group is all that pleased with me right now. "Well, I know that sorry…..isn't enough, but I want to try and repair what we've lost. Yes, I said "we". So just name it….cuz I really don't know what you guys want…I guess it's all my fault that you're….all like this in the first place, so I should take the blame. I know I shouldn't say this, cuz I know it won't matter….but gomen nasai, guys. I really-" My breath caught and it felt like I was being choked.

"Your arm…!" I took a glance and gasped; not like I wasn't already. It was turning paler by the minute, my veins becoming more visible; the purple bitches were burning me like a fire jutsu.

"Dammit…!" I clutched it in visible pain, and looked at the needle that was on the floor. It had a dark crimson tint to it, as if the blood in there was dry or something. It really pissed me off. _'Was that god damn needle already used? Or is it my old blood from so many cuts? What's going on?'_ "WHAT THE HELL!?" I clenched my teeth and reached into my pocket for a kunai, where I usually kept them. Then I remembered I was back in Konoha and that all of my weapons were gone. So I couldn't get a new high to replace this unwanted one.

"GET A GOD DAMN DOCTOR IN HERE, NOW," I heard the guys yelling out my door, but everything around me was in a blur; a helpless nightmare. Because other than the excruciating pain in my arm, I saw Lee's face, and despite the longing in my heart, I didn't want to see it. Because in his mysterious black eyes, I saw a pain worse than what I was feeling now, but still, he's smiling at me.

"Aishiteru, Kenisha-koi…"

He doesn't know how much it hurts me when he says it. He doesn't know how much I want to say it back to him. And he may never know now.

"Gomen…nasai…Lee-koishi-FUCKING DAMMIT, THIS HURTS!!" My voice was going hoarse

"A DOCTOR, PLEASE!?" Tsunade came running into the room, a panting Shizune at her heels. _'I can't believe she hasn't changed...'_

"I'M HERE, STOP YOUR YELLING! Now what's the problem? Is the old lady--"

I whimpered helplessly and her expression became all the more serious. "Get her to an ER, and make it quick."

"Hai!"

**Emily: Two words: HOLY SHIT!**

**Sasuke: You said it..**

**Neji: Hn.**

**TenTen: Oh my Kami-sama**

**Kids: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!**

**Hinata: Doushite...?**

**Katie and Yamato: What the hell is going on...?**

**Lee: Kenisha-koi!**


	5. A Dilemma, A Reappearance

Chapter 4

**Chapter 4- A Dilemma, A Reappearance**

_Normal POV_

The gang waited for the results of the emergency surgery: apparently Kenisha had used a "used" kunai when she cut herself in Soragakure. Her old blood had some sort of weird poison in it that made her blood purple and the arm she cut herself on became utterly useless. Her other arm wasn't as serious, but her right arm was cut into deeper than the left, therefore it had to be tended to immediately.

"Why does all the cool shit happen to ordinary people," Ino asked softly, looking at the wall like it was going to respond to her question.

"What exactly do you mean by that, Ino-chan?" TenTen was laying her head onto Neji's lap, closing her eyes.

"I mean, they get truly enjoy all of the best experiences that happen to them because they don't have to worry about dying the next day or not being able to cooperate in the memory of the experience. Those lucky bastards don't know how good they have it…"

TenTen nodded and Katie put the end of her glasses into her mouth again and sighed. "I wish the kids didn't have to see that," she said, leaning her head on Yamato's shoulder. Hinata sensed that Ino wished she had someone to comfort her as well, so she wrapped an arm around Ino's shoulders and sat beside her, Minato on her knee.

"I do too, but we can't expect them to forget it now…someone so close to them, yet so far, hurt like that….it's amazing that they weren't screaming," Hinata said softly, getting back into her old ways; shy and pressing her fingers together.

"I just hope Kenisha-nee-chan makes it out ok," TenTen said just as softly, her knees pulled up to her chest. "She's already been through a lot, maybe even more than we did…"

"Not possible," Neji said immediately, standing up. TenTen gave him an incredulous look.

"How so? You and I and everyone else saw the scars! She's been hurting herself--"

"Oh, and like you haven't?!" The room fell silent as Neji gave his wife a cold stare. He held her wrist in a vice and looked her right it the eyes. "You've been acting like you did when you wanted to leave the village as well! It isn't like I haven't noticed!"

There was a group "Holy shit," and Minato hid in Hinata's chest. **(Emily: Yeah, nice hiding place there, you pervert-in-training.) **TenTen looked away from Neji's eyes and tried to get out of his grasp; it didn't work.

"N-Neji-ai…all of this that's been going on- I'm not going to lie to you: I'm getting fuckin' tired of it! I know that you don't think it's a big deal because they accept you, but it's not the same for me! I'm not like you, Neji-ai!"

Emily and Katie scratched their heads. "What's happening to them," Emily asked Hinata, who was nodding in approval with TenTen's statement.

"About a month ago, the elders were pestering them about heirs and heiresses, even though Neji wasn't fully the Head yet. But they didn't want a child yet; they wanted all of their ninja affairs done with before they could even think about it." Hinata held Minato closer to her. "After the first week of refusal, the elders were talking about finally going with their original request about 4 ½ years ago to get TenTen-nee-chan out of the family."

Emily gasped. "Jesus fucking Christ, they're insane! Why would they do that?"

Katie gave her a look. "Isn't it obvious?" Emily shook her head. Her twin sighed. "They obviously think that TenTen isn't a suitable addition to the family, but since Neji liked her, they decided to leave the idea of it alone, that is until they found about her past, of course." Hinata nodded; she'd hit the nail right on the head. "Now they think that she's inadequate to run as the Head's wife because of the complete destruction of her clan when she was 3 years old."

Hinata nodded. "Now they think that she's as weak as her clan was 20 ½ years ago, when in truth she's surpassed everyone that lived before her." They looked on to the scene, where emotions were running higher than they'd ever seen them.

"Don't you see? Don't you realize that if we keep like this; if I stay with you, they're gonna force me to leave and marry you off to someone else! I can't live with that TenTen!"

"I realize that, dammit! Why the hell do you think that I've been training so hard?!" She gave him a genuine glare, not just an "I'm mad at you for now, but it'll blow over in 5 seconds" glare, but an actual glare. "It's just like when I first came here after my clan was eradicated! I've gotta work my ass off to stay in the place I wanna be, but when I finally have something, they'll try to take it from me!"

"It's not like you can pin all this shit on me! It's not my fault that they don't like you! They're just conceited and are too old to keep up with the present! The present is when you're allowed to marry who you want to marry without repercussions, but they don't see that!" Neji finally let go of her wrists and she rubbed them gingerly; he'd left some red marks. Neji put a hand on her cheek and she immediately looked into his pupil-less eyes. "They don't see that I love you and that all of the things that they think are wrong with you are just the things that make you Hyuuga TenTen; the things that make you different from the other Hyuuga."

TenTen turned from his face and into his hand, wiping her eyes in it. "I'm different from other Hyuuga because I'm not uptight or clean-cut, or all that cold either. I'm TenTen, and you're Neji. We're opposites, sort of. But it's those differences that draw us together, right?"

Neji chuckled lightly at her slight attempt at a joke. "Yeah, they really do. They really do, TenTen…."

"Holy shit, was that a tear? WAS THAT A HYUUGA TEAR? HOLY FUCKIN--"

"Emily-nee-chan, please shut up," Katie said, bopping Emily in the back of her head.

"So does this mean their fight's over? Cuz I don't want Aunty Tennie and Uncle Neji to fight, Mommy," Minato said innocently, tugging on Hinata's sleeve.

As the two Hyuuga kissed, Hinata smiled. "Yes Minato, it's over. And Aunty Tennie and Uncle Neji are gonna be fine."

"YAY!"

Hinata sweatdropped. "Please don't be so loud, Minato…" After she got Minato to quiet down, she looked at Shin, who was sleeping in another chair next to her father, then to Sin and Natsuma, who were sitting on the floor, serious expressions on their faces. She gestured to Emily who cocked her head.

"What?"

"What's up with your kids? They're acting like…like…"

"Like trained Shinobi and kunoichi? Yeah, you can thank Sasuke-ai for that. After the Tsuchikage incident, he wanted them to be ready for anything else that might come up especially after hearing about the Kurosendo Koneko's bounties."

"You mean because of the people that she killed?"

"Yeah. Most of them were people that would've been after her if she had revealed herself as a Kimochi. And most of them would've probably come after us, especially after hearing that all of us have had kids…except for her, that is. Most people think that Kimochi Kenisha is either dead and gone or unable to be found; she probably would be if she hadn't chosen to be a bounty hunter."

"I feel that she's trying to find herself again….I think she's gonna have a lot to think about when she gets outta this," Hinata said, repositioning Minato to her other knee. "He's heavy."

"Yeah, most kids are, Hina-chan." They both giggled and fell silent again, waiting for Kenisha to come out of the ER.

_3 ½ hours later_

Tsunade came out of the room, wiping her hands on a towel, looking drained but happy. The gang all looked at her expectantly and Lee stood up and gave a longing look at the door.

"She's gonna be fine guys, but she'll actually need to keep here for a bit." Her expression turned serious. "But I gotta tell you, it wasn't old blood or a regular poison that made her like this."

-Insert varying close-ups of each character in the room and shocked faces on each-

"The purple gave the old bastard away…." She gave a look at Sasuke, who had been silent for the entire wait, keeping a cool front with Lee and Shizuke. "I've gotta remind myself to kick your Uchiha ass later. You didn't finish your job, Sasuke."

The Uchiha's fist clenched. "But I killed him, I made sure of it!!"

"Confirm your kills next time. Besides, it isn't like he can be killed easily, y'know."

"OK, who the fuck are we talking about?" Everyone gave Emily a "You're fuckin' retarded" look.

"I'm talking about Orochimaru. He's not dead."

"OH. FUCK!!" Emily turned to Sasuke. "HOW THE HELL DID YOU LET THIS HAPPEN!? THE BASTARD IS A FUCKING GAY-ASS PEDOPHILE THAT COULD PREY ON LITTLE NATSUMA!! AND HE COULD POTENTIALLY DESTROY KONOHA!! SASUKE-AI NO BAKA!!" Emily slapped Sasuke on the back of the head and held her fist in the air, much like when Sakura did when she punished Naruto.

"No need to get excited; I know the severity of this."

Lee gave Tsunade a look. "How did he get to her?"

She bit her lip and put a hand on Lee's shoulder. "I think it's best if you see for yourself."

She led him into the room, where Kenisha was hooked up to more machines than when she first got back in Konoha. "Well, what's wrong with her, besides the fact that she's in here and in pain."

Tsunade didn't say anything, but silently lowered Kenisha's hospital to expose her chest, where a five-pronged-seal resided. Lee gasped and Neji rushed in.

"How did this happen," he said urgently, pointing at the mark. Tsunade shook her head.

"I don't know myself; it's something that she'll have to tell you when she's good and ready. Otherwise, don't harass her about it."

"Fine." He went off into the other room, probably to relay the news to the others. Their suspicions were confirmed when a resounding "OH MY FUCKING JESUS CHRIST" was heard throughout the hospital. Tsunade sighed and lifted Kenisha's robe back to her collar bone, slightly pushing some stray hair off of her necklace

"Of all the thing's to happen to her…why does it have to be this?"

_Lee's House, Lee's POV_

'_That's why she said that she couldn't have possibly casted the water jutsu…because she can't cast any…Dammit Kenisha-koi, why didn't you give me a sign?!'_

I lay on my bed and stared up at the ceiling, a towel wrapped loosely around my waist. I blew some hair out of my eyes and grunted, frustrated with myself and everything around me. "As if he hasn't caused enough trouble with this village, now he's got my fiancée…" I clenched my fist until my fingernails cut into my palm. "I swear on my blood and my pain that I will kill you, Orochimaru."

**Short chapter, but it's late and I'm not gonna be on for long because of certain things happening at home, but no worries, I'll make a comeback later!**

**For now, bye!**


	6. My Delusions

**Chapter 5- My Delusions**

_Kenisha's POV_

I needed something to do. Just sitting here is really getting old. It's been three nights now that I haven't gotten any rest; I might as well be an insomniac. In any case, I thought a little music would pass the time when my brain doesn't wanna shut down.

_The medicine is blending in mixing the blood with oxygen_

_I need this right now to figure myself out_

_Cutting through the ribbons of self doubt_

I had my iPod turned on, singing along softly to Dead in the Water by Hawthorne Heights because I was alone, afraid, in pain, and in the darkness of an unfamiliar room. I looked down at my chest; I knew that someone had messed with the seal. It was burning a little, probably because the peridot was touching it. But it never used to bother me this much before. _'I wish that that bastard never touched me….'_ My IV drips along with my blood transfusion were becoming less noisy to my heightened hearing; the song was drowning out the reality around me.

That's why I loved songs; you could get completely lost in them and believe you're somewhere else…somewhere better or worse….or somewhere where nothing matters…

_I never thought you'd see me this way_

_You are the worst and I am to blame_

Lee must've seen me in my condition; I bet he thinks it's all his fault. "Truth is, it's my fault, Lee-koi…Remember that…"

_Close the door, lock it tight_

_Then I'll know you're safe tonight_

You'd better be asleep…I can't have you looking as bad as I am; I wouldn't be able to live with it.

_Turn on a song that means the most_

_Believe I'm there and hold me close_

I bet he's done that many times before; I know I have. So many times when I truly believed he was next to me, holding onto me and telling me to stop as I cut myself while listening to songs that hold meaning to me. I needed to change the lyrics for the chorus; Lee is NOT a girl.

_He__ is in my bloodstream, tonight__ he's__ draining me_

_The room is filled with reds and blues_

Of course he's in my bloodstream; he's a part of me. It's his will that drive's me to drain the blood from my body. Reds and blues are what the room looks like when I let the blood seep through my hands; my brain can't think straight during the high.

_I follow as __he__ leads into the darkness_

_Drying up my veins_

So many times I've followed him into my nightmares….and now I'm finally with him in reality. My arms still bleed though, because those types of wounds don't heal like the others.

_He's__ a ghost, a silhouette_

_Calling out my name_

He's an illusion in my peripheral vision that keeps eluding my grasp, when all I ever wanted to do was see him again. Yet every time I fail, his calls beckon me towards him. "Lee-koishi…." My voice sounded more deprived than I thought it would.

_These lies will fall into the pieces I left you_

_Of your favorite picture torn in two_

So many lies….the ones told by others and to me. Maybe he's been told lies as well. I'll have to ask him later on. Of course, I've only torn up one picture in my 3 year exile, and that was the one when we were sitting in the living room, his hand on my then-pregnant stomach, just lying there and basking in each other's warmth. Naruto took that picture; not that I have anything against him taking it. I just didn't want to be reminded of what could've been.

_I never thought we'd end up this way_

_You are the worst, I am to blame_

_Close the door, lock it tight_

_Then I'll know you're safe tonight_

_Turn on a song that means the most_

_Believe I'm there and hold me close_

My hand subconsciously clenched onto nothingness; an old habit of mine. My body thought that his hand was there, but my brain knew that it was just a sick fantasy conjured up by my longing for Lee.

_He__ is in my bloodstream, tonight__ he's__ draining me_

_The room is filled with reds and blues_

_I follow as __he__ leads into the darkness_

_Drying up my veins_

_He's__ a ghost, a silhouette_

_Calling out my name_

I let the song play one its own and painfully turned over. _'What an un-ironic name for a song….considering I can't use water jutsu anymore and that I was basically dead on my feet when they found me. And it explains everything that I've been going through, and probably some on Lee-koishi's side… I need to listen to Hawthorne Heights more often…' _I stared up at the empty ceiling and decided to voice some of my other thoughts.

"This delusion….I don't want to leave it….Lee-koishi is there." I felt my eyelids get heavier as I turned to another song called Whiskey Lullaby by Brad Paisley. "It's so sad, suicide…like my lonely life….this delusion of a life…" I finally closed my eyes and fell asleep, but it wasn't a peaceful one.

_TenTen's POV_

I couldn't sleep.

Even with Neji by my side, I couldn't sleep. I just didn't feel right. Normally, I wouldn't be blaming my feelings on events that happened during the day, but tonight was different.

'_I just wish….' _I looked at Neji's calm expression as he slept, his arm draped over my shoulders. I wanted to keep it that way so I didn't move. _'I just wish that these people would stop….stop making things so…so wrong….'_

"Oh Neji-ai…." I caressed his cheek in my hands. "I'm sorry…." His eyebrows twitched ever so slightly, and I pulled my hand away. I sat up slowly and put his arm beside my leg, looking out the sliding paper and wood door that was letting moonlight through. "I'm sorry for being me….I'm causing you so much trouble."

I shook my head and ran my fingers through my hair for a moment, noting at how long it was getting. _'I'll have to cut it again soon….' _My long Hershey chocolate colored locks were growing past the middle of my thigh now. I've had to put it up in tighter and larger buns than I used to, and I guess there's no time like the present to do what you need to do.

I slowly removed myself from Neji's grasp and tip-toed out of our bedroom, making my way towards the kitchen for the scissors. Too bad, though; the light was turned on as soon as I reached the drawer. I already knew who it was. "Yo Hina-nee-chan, you come to get a drink of water?" She shook her head and gave me a serious look.

"Iie, I came to give you a shoulder to cry on. You should know that your mask doesn't fool me, Ten-nee-chan." I made my eyes avoid hers, and instead looked at my feet, which were curled up because of how cold it got on a September night.

"What's there to comfort me about now? It'll, or rather; they'll just come back tomorrow and bite me in the ass. I'm not sure if it's right to heal me today and let the wounds reopen tomorrow. That's why Gai-sensei never let us let up; because we'd be doing more tomorrow." I heard Hinata move and soon saw her feet next to mine; she was leaning next to me on the countertop.

"Kurenai-sensei always said that we were always allowed to let up if we knew we were going to lose; if the fight was proven to be inevitable and you were on your last kunai. That's what you are now, and I'm here as back-up." I looked up at her and saw that her eyes were full of sadness and determination; she truly believed she was right. I leaned on her shoulder and sighed.

"I'm not sure if Neji-ai can do anything to help me, truthfully…." Dammit, I knew that she'd get me. Sometimes I really hated the Hyuuga eyes; they could make you do what they wanted you to do. "I mean, if they won't listen to him, then who will they listen to? Surely not Hiashi!"

At this point I thought that Hinata was going to agree with me; her father treats her like shit. But no, my hopes were dashed with her next few words. "My father may not be the best, but he taught me that having people do things for you isn't what you need to be doing if you want something bad enough. You've gotta find a way by yourself….at least that's what he said…" Hinata looked down at her feet like I did, and I took her hand and squeezed it.

"Yeah, but I've been doing things by myself for a long time, Hinata-nee-chan. I used to live by myself, if you don't remember….Doing it by yourself only makes things worse." Her eyes told me she understood.

"You know, you don't have to rely on Neji-nii-san for everything. You'll always have me, and the rest of the gang to help you out as well. You're not alone anymore, TenTen-nee-chan." I gave her a look that said "Like I don't know that".

"But sometimes it can feel that way, when none of you are around….they start to say things and I think….sometimes I think they mean them…" I thought back on one particular incident and now it all made sense…

**(Note: This is not a flashback from another fanfiction I've written, therefore, it shall be in POV form, and not in Normal POV. That's all.)**

_I was walking home alone again; Neji and Hinata were on a mission exclusive to the "Hyuuga". Tsunade still wouldn't tell me why I wasn't picked. I mean, I'm a Hyuuga too, you know! Just because I don't have the Byakugan doesn't make me less of one either! As I turned the corner I had the entrance of the Hyuuga Manor in full sight and saw the guards. They usually checked people's eyes before they were allowed to enter if they were born Hyuuga, but in my case I had to state my name and a password. And all because I didn't have the Hyuuga eyes; the gift of the Byakugan._

"_Name and password, Miss."_

"_Hyuuga TenTen, password bachiatari(cursed)."_

_They stepped out of the way and let me in. I didn't give them a passing glance. I was just in a hurry to get home, in the safety of my bedroom, and lock the door tight behind me; maybe leave a few traps or something. But my flawless plan was foiled when I turned another corner and came face to face with a head elder, which was followed by two other men in white robes._

"_Ah, the Weapons Mistress again. What a very…pleasant surprise. I was just trying to find your husband, Neji--"_

"_You and I both know that he's on a mission with Hinata-chan, Elder. You can see him when he's done with his mission, but only after he sees me. I am his wife, you know."_

_The bastard chuckled as if it was some kind of joke; like the thought of Neji and I as a married couple was laughable. "Well, I'm afraid that only people of true Hyuuga blood can make requests such as that. You're out of luck; you're not one of us, so you can't see him." OK, this guy is ruining my already fucked day; how could it possibly get worse? When I open my mouth and make a smart-ass comment, that's how._

"_I believe it isn't in your power to tell when I can see my husband or have a biased attitude to your family. It doesn't matter whether I have the Byakugan or not; I'm still a top-class kunoichi and still the Weapons Mistress of Konohagakure. And dammit, I'm still Neji-ai's wife whether you pompous bastards like it or not!" As I turned on my heel and left them with that to think about, they appeared in front of me and the elder grabbed my wrists._

"_Well, Weapons Mistress of Konohagakure, how would you like having the curse seal placed on everyone you love? All of your friends, your little ninja buddies, maybe even that uke-nin Kimochi friend of yours if we get the chance to meet her--"_

"_OK, you bastard: One: You don't have the _balls_ to take on my friends and put the curse seal on them. Two: You wouldn't be _allowed_, because Tsunade-sama wouldn't allow it. She'd kick your ass before you'd have left the Manor. Three: My uke-nin friend, _Kimochi Kenisha_, fiancée of Rock Lee, Taijutsu Master of Konohagakure, will never be caught by one as slow as you. She'd _destroy you_ before you left the Land of Fire anyway; she hates people that hurt her friends."_

_He harshly let go of my wrists and smirked at me. "You think that those meager things will stop me? I can break you. And to begin that, I'm going to make sure that you and your little Neji aren't together for much longer…."_

"_Y-You can't…Hiashi would never--"_

"_There are many things Hiashi would never do, but this isn't one of them. He doesn't regard you two as part of his family anymore. Besides, why do you think Neji was made Head in the first place?"_

"_This can't be…"_

"_Oh, but it can. Since you married a Hyuuga of the Cadet Branch in the first place, it isn't totally out of the question if we gave you the cursed seal anyway. Besides, it'll happen eventually."_

_I raised an eyebrow. "Why do you suggest such a thing?"_

_His evil chuckle sounded even worse than Orochimaru's evil laugh. "Only because if you don't have an heir or heiress after the first year of your dear husband Neji's Headmanship, you'll be placed with the Cadet Branch and never see your Neji again. So I suggest you hurry, because in case I forgot, pregnancy takes almost a full year anyway." Then he disappeared with his two henchman and I just sat on the hardwood floor, about to do the thing I swore I'd never do at the Hyuuga Manor; I was about to cry out of weakness._

"_Dammit…" I punched the floor and left a dent. Not caring, I headed straight for our bedroom, locked the door behind me, and entangled myself in the sheets, inhaling Neji's scent. "You don't know how much I need you right now….Oh Neji-ai…."_

I felt someone shaking me, and I turned to my side, expecting to see Hinata's worried face, but instead I was faced with the concerned one of Neji's.

"What's wrong, TenTen-koi?" I gave him one look and sighed.

"Everything is, Neji-ai."

"What do you mean by that?"

I shook my head and walked back into the bedroom, not caring if I was loud or not. The whole fucking house can wake up for all I give. "Nothing Neji-ai, let's just get some sleep and forget that this ever happened…"

He nodded, but I knew that he wouldn't forget. And as we lay down again, I felt his grip get a little tighter, this time around my waist. I gave him a kiss and it sort of calmed him down, but it only made me feel worse.

'_Damn, am I delusional? As if we could ever forget about what's happening to us. Kami-sama, it's like living re-runs of old sappy romance films, just this time it may not have a happy ending… God dammit, I wish things could get back to normal…'_

I gave Neji one last look before I closed my eyes, but when I did close them; all I saw was him and his uncovered forehead. I think I know why Neji didn't rush in marrying me when we got engaged; because I would eventually suffer the same fate.

Know what, elders? Fuck you; all you're doing is making our life worse. I turned over, as if it would shake the image from my mind. It didn't.

_The next morning Lee's POV_

I've got to hurry up; Kenisha-koi is still in the hospital! They wouldn't let me spend the night this time; probably losing bed space. Though I don't see why that would matter, I would've just slept with her. But who cares, at least I can see her.

I'm not really sure if anyone understands how important this is. I mean, maybe Neji and TenTen do, but I highly doubt it. None of them had ever suffered a pain as unusual or as heart-breaking as this one, and I was ready to end it. I ran out the door and decided to stop by Ino's flower shop and get something for Kenisha-koi, even if she isn't really one for flowers. _'Then again, a lot has changed during these 3 years apart…'_

I think she was expecting me, because she was already opening the door. "Yo Lee, what's up? Gonna get something for Kenisha-chan today?"

"Hai. What have you got that you'll think she'll enjoy having? I'm not really used to doing--"

"Oh don't worry, Lee, I've got just the thing! Hang on, I'll be right back!" How the hell is she always so loud all the time? She came back out with some different colored flowers that I didn't recognize. Then again, I'm not much of a flower person.

"Um, do you mind if I ask what those things are?"

"Nope! They're a mixture of roses, daisies, and sakura blossoms!!" OK, now I feel retarded. "I think it's my best bouquet yet! Now if you'd just pay for them you and I'd see her faster, cuz when I'm done with you, I'm done with my shift!" I smiled at her bubbly attitude. I don't think she'd been this happy since Kawaii had been forced to spend her life at her parent's house.

'_It seems that her returning has brought many bright feelings for everyone….I'm glad you've made a difference, Kenisha-koi.'_

We both exited the shop and walked to the hospital, though we both wanted to run. Strangely though, it seemed that Ino didn't have the kind of self control I was expecting from her. "C'mon, LET'S GO ALREADY!!" Then she took of sprinting toward the hospital, while I kept up with her with a quickened jog. We got there in about a minute and a half.

"State your business, please sir."

"Hai, I'm Rock Lee along with Miss Yamanaka Ino, and we're here to visit Kimochi Kenisha today." The receptionist took a moment to find her name and then gave us the directions.

"Arigatou, miss," we said simultaneously. I speed walked down the hallway, Ino at my heels.

"Man, Lee, you can give a girl a workout! Kenisha-chan's lucky she's fast or else she wouldn't be able to keep up with you." I chuckled; she was a funny girl.

**(Note: THIS IS NO WAY IN HELL A LEEINO FANFIC!! THEY ARE JUST FRIENDS THAT ARE GETTING CLOSER FROM CONCERN FOR ANOTHER FRIEND! –huff- OK, I'm done now. Just wanted to point that out; you can continue.)**

I opened the door slowly and strode in slowly, holding the flowers behind my back. "Kenisha-koi?"

She turned over and faced me, taking her headphones out of her ears. She had bags under her eyes so I assumed she hadn't gotten much sleep during the past 3 days and nights.

"Hey Lee-koishi- Ino-chan! I wasn't expecting you to be here too! …Awwwhhhh…! Done with the flowers or something?" I noticed the huge yawn but then presented her the flowers.

"These are for you." She took them and smiled.

"They're pretty…Hang on, how'd you think this up? You're not one for flowers, babe."

I noted the new nickname and Ino seemed to giggle at it. "Ino helped me find them. She decided to come with me to see you since her shift at the shop was over." The blonde smiled knowingly.

"If there's anything I'm good at, it's finding the perfect flowers for the ultimate romance!" She looked at her for a minute. "What's with the iPod; you get bored?"

Kenisha's expression changed from amazed and happy to tired and loving. "Something like that, but nothing to worry your blonde head about. I just couldn't sleep, that's all."

"Well, you'd better start! Sleep is essential for the beauty of a kunoichi; you don't wanna look bad for Lee, don't ya?" Kenisha shook her head and smiled.

"True, but I'm used to it. When I was out bounty hunting, I usually got my bounty at night; gotta be dramatic and keep up with the name. So yeah, I'm used to not getting much sleep." Ino nodded and sighed.

"Seriously, you must be a night owl or something. Even I have to get sleep at one point, and I'm a party animal!"

She smirked at Ino's comment. "Well, I've always been really…_active _at night; just take the hot springs incident for example." She winked seductively at me and I laughed.

"Yeah, I'm sure that no one in the world knows that Kimochi Kenisha could scream for me like that." Ino had a disgusted look on her face as she groaned.

"You two are just _wrong_! I mean, sure, we're big enough to have sex without being punished now, but do you have to _talk about it afterward? _I mean, look at Neji and TenTen-nee-chan; they've had more sex than _Emily-nee-chan and Sasuke_ and they don't talk about it afterward!"

"Well, that's only cuz Neji and TenTen-nee-chan are mature. Then again, I hear that Hanabi leaks out what's happening in there…it's not very clean, if you ask me," Kenisha said, closing her eyes and nodding. I nodded too, and Ino looked like she was about to barf.

"Jesus Christ, what the hell have I been doing all this time? I gotta go," she said, hurrying out after giving Kenisha a hug. "Promise to visit you later, Kenisha-nee-chan," she called as she hurried out the door. That left her and I alone.

_Kenisha's POV_

I wanted him close to me, so bad I did, to make up for all the time we were apart. But I knew I couldn't force it onto him; I don't think I could've forced it onto myself. It would've been too much.

"So, you haven't been getting any sleep since you left?" I shook my head; he was getting at something.

"Iie, I haven't; it hasn't really affected me, though. You still think I look hot, right?"

He chuckled; a sound I haven't heard him make in what seems like forever. But for all I know, it probably has been. He had a dreamy look in his eyes that almost made me fall asleep by itself. "Hai, you still look as beautiful as you ever did, Kenisha-koi." He began to advance toward me and even though my body was lusting for him to come faster, to hold me in his arms; my mind told me that it wasn't ready for that yet, no matter how much I wanted it. _'Damn, since when did I _crave for sex_? I'VE ONLY HAD IT ONCE…! But it was fucking awesome, though…'_

"What's wrong, babe?" I don't know why I called him that; I guess it's just something I'll be doing from now on. Another change, how nice….

"If you're not sleeping, then I'm going to help you sleep." And just like that, his shirt was off and he was carefully crawling underneath me.

I was getting extremely horny for a girl in a hospital bed. "Um, Lee-koishi, I'm not sure if getting in bed with me is such a good ide--" My words were silenced when Lee put a finger to his lips and gently laid my head onto his bare chest. I could hear something powerful beating inside it, and the beat was soothing to me.

"Just listen to my heart, love, and you'll be ok…." Then he began telling me things that had happened and changed since I'd left the village, and I felt like I finally understood where I was and felt right at home. "Which is how it should be," he said, holding me tighter to him.

My eyes felt heavy and I finally moved slightly to get more comfortable on his chest and said, "Arigatou….," before closing my eyes. I felt his arms wrap around me and I knew, that for the first time since I left, that it was real.

Fuck you delusions. Fuck you.

**Everyone but TenTen and Me: What a way to end a chapter, huh?**

**Me: Does no one understand our pain?**

**TenTen: I guess not…-yawns- C'mon Neji-ai, I'm tired. Let's get to bed.**

**Neji: Hn. You've got explaining to do, koi.**

**TenTen: -eyes downcast- Later, ai.**

**Lee: -looks down- You should be sleeping, koi.**

**Me: -sighs sleepily- Fine….Aishiteru, Lee-koishi.**

**Lee: Love you too, koi.**


	7. I've Gotta Go

**Me and TenTen: PREPARE FOR EXTREME LOUDNESS!!**

**Emily: I'D BETTER BE IN THERE IF IT IS!!**

**Me and TenTen: NO, THIS IS A ME AND HYUUGA TENTEN-CENTIRC WITH A HINT OF HINATA CHAPTER!!**

**Emily and the others: DAMMIT!!**

**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING BUT THE OCS. If I did own Naruto (Shippuden, I guess this is) I WOULD AKE AL NARUTO FANS CHARACTERS IN ANOTHER AWESOME NARUTO MOVIE THAT WOULD BE 5 HOURS LONG AND FULL OF NONSTOP KICK-ASS-NESS AND ROMANCE WITH A BIG HELPING OF DRAMA!! -cough- But I know that will never happen because that world is controlled by Masashi Kishimoto.**

* * *

**I've Gotta Go Chapter 5**

_Normal POV_

It's been 3 weeks since Kimochi Kenisha was taken into the village of Konoha on a stretcher, and its been 2 weeks since she woke up from her exhaustion after falling asleep on Lee's chest. And no, Lee did not stay there the whole week of her slumber.

It's been 2 weeks since Hyuuga TenTen and Hyuuga Hinata had their talk.

And it's been only am hour since Kimochi Kenisha was let out of the hospital.

Guess where her first stop is?

_Kenisha's POV_

"TENTEN-NEE-CHAN, HINATA-NEE-CHAN, OPEN UP!!" I banged on the door with the side of my fist and when the door opened, I didn't get either of the girls: I got Hanabi.

She gave a skeptical look. "Who're you?"

"Remember Thanksgiving of 7 years ago? Go ahead and think, I'll wait…"

A light bulb must've exploded in her head, cuz then she screamed, "KIMOCHI KENISHA, HINATA-NEE-CHAN'S FRIEND!!"

"Yup!" I bypassed her and stepped inside. "Where is your sister anyway?"

"She's out with TenTen-chan. No idea where, though. By the way, what's with the new outfit?" Yup, I changed again. Now my outfit was a black laced cami-and-miniskirt-combo, complete with the white frills on the bottom. I had a red ribbon tied around my neck and huge black ribbon tied around both my wrists. I kept my high heeled shiny black boots.

"I had a change of heart over the years, kid. And Lee wanted me to wear it for fun, I'm changing back into another variation of my bounty hunter outfit later. I'm gonna keep it as simple as that."

"I'm no kid!! I'm 17!!"

"And I'm 21 with more ninja and bounty hunter experience; you're a kid to me." She pouted then activated her Byakugan. "They're at Lee's house right now. I bet they're looking for you."

"Is this my invitation to leave?"

"Hai. Now go." Jeez, bitch much.

"Ok, bye." I headed off to Lee's house in haste, arriving when they turned to leave.

"K-Kenisha-nee-chan!"

"Yo Hina-nee-chan….What's up TenTen-nee-chan?" TenTen was sitting on the ground, leaning on the wall of the house, her leg bent and her head resting on it; she didn't look happy in the slightest. She looked up at me.

"I'm sure that no one could've told you yet….I have to get pregnant in a week and have an heir or heiress by this year or else I'm evicted from the Main House where Neji is and get branded by the cursed seal and get divorced then live in the Branch House. And worst part of it is, I can't find Neji-ai," TenTen said in a low depressing voice. Only three words could truly describe my astonishment.

"HOLY FUCKIN' SHIT!!"

"Hai, this is truly an enormous problem," Hinata said solemnly, pushing her fingers together.

"You've gone soft again, Hina. What's wrong?"

"This whole predicament. It sucks; I never liked the elders to begin with but they have no right to mess with TenTen-nee or Neji-nii!! I feel like I'm powerless because I'm second in command and can't override my father or the elders in anything!"

"The thing I wanted to say was you should just assassinate the Hyuuga elders to gain your hard-ass-ness back, but I like you and your rage better. What do you sugest we do?"

"Take this to the Hokage: She's dealt with our problems before."

"Yeah, you can't get enough of Hyuuga problems, can you? Not trying to be mean, but this clan is more fucked up that the Uchiha clan."

TenTen still hadn't said anything, just curled her knees tighter to her chest (which must be really fuckin' hard) and clutching them until her knuckles turned white.

"That's because we're basically slave drivers: making the branch part of our clan do all the dirty work while my DUMBASS FATHER AND ALL OF THOSE FUCKTARDED ELDERS GET TO SIT BACK AND WALLOW IN THIER BIRD SHIT ALL THE DAMN TIME, AND THEN YELL AT ME WHILE I'M TRYING TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT, THEN HURT TENTEN, HURT YOU, HURT NARUTO-KOI, TRY TO HURT MINATO-KUN, JUST HURT EVERYONE. THOSE FUCKIN' BASTARDS ARE GOING TO PAY!!" An arc of Chakra burst from Hinata, knocking Tenten and I into the dojo part of the house.

"..." TenTen got up wordlessly and took out a kunai, twirling it around on her index finger out of habit. I crawled out from behind her and rubbed my head.

"Remind me again why you aren't clan Head?"

"Because Father wanted to _take care of_ Neji-nii first. Despite what he said back at the Chunin exams, he still hates Neji-nii. All of that nice shit was just an act...just like how he accepted Naruto-koi is an act. He wants the "Nine-Tailed Beast" out of our family almost as much as Neji-nii. But then again, the elders are saying that he'd be a valuable power-house to our clan and make us rise above the rest. I swear, Hyuuga Hiashi is A FUCKIN' IDIOT!!" Her Byakugan activated this time and I forgot how scary she looked when it was on. TenTen walked away from us and jumped up onto the dojo roof, out of immediate reach.

"...I'm going to the Hokage to request a mission. Ja ne." TenTen disappeared before I could stop her.

_TenTen's POV_

I couldn't take anymore of this.

I need to clear my head, and any mission would be able to do that; anything would work, even D rank. I reappeared in front of Tsunade's office and knocked.

"Come in."

I opened the door and closed it a little forcefully behind me. "I need a mission, anything. Just make it time-consuming, hard, and has something that needs my weapons expertise."

She was in the middle of swallowing some sake so she choked a little before gasping. "Why the sudden need? You've been on leave for quite a while now."

"I don't know what Hiashi-teme told you, but I did not put myself on leave. He's insane and I dont want to be in the same house as him anymore. I just need an escape and some honest work to do."

"Is Neji going to--"

"Iie, Neji-ai isn't going with me and he doesn't need to know. I just have to get away."

She nodded as if she understood; she may never will. "I see. I don't have many missions to give today, but I'm not going to degrade you with the D ranks. I have a C ranked mision open, but its inside the village. There aren't any B ranks today; your crazy sensei took all of them." I smiled at that. _'Same old Gai-sensei, huh?'_ "Of A ranked and S ranked, there are rumors of Orochimaru and Kabuto and thier whereabouts in the Land of Bears. That's the S rank."

_'Not something I'd take just to get away.' _"What's the A rank?"

"I've also heard rumors that the Land of Grass is sending some assassins after the Kurosendo Koneko, aka Kimochi Kenisha for killing thier lead assassin who was attempting to assassinate the headman of a small village in the Land of Sound. I've also got some information recently that these two mission are possibly connected by the fact that the person that Kenisha killed was also a double agent for Orochimaru to gain more information on the inner workings of the Land of Sound's new Feudal Lord. I assume that you'd take either?"

"I'll take the A rank. Is it alright if I bring a friend or two?"

"If you're talking about Hinata and Kenisha then I don't see why not." I nodded then turned to walk out the door. Before I left, she stopped me. "TenTen, mind if I ask what exactly is going on?"

"Iie. I'd rather not drag you into this unless I can't solve it myself. But you'll find out soon enough anyway: Hinata-nee-chan and Kenisha-nee-chan were talking about telling you before I left-" I felt familiar Chakra outside the door. _'They were spying, huh?'_ "-that's them now."

As if on cue, the door burst open and Kenisha flung in, her hand clasped to Hinata's wrist. "WHY THE HELL AREN'T YOU GOING TO TELL HER!? IT'S YOUR GOD DAMN PROBLEM, AND I'M NOT A GOD DAMN MESSENGER, DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME, NEE-CHAN!?"

"Hai. This may be a Hyuuga affair, but it ascertains to you personally, TenTen-nee," Hinata said much softer.

I sighed. "Fine. The elders and Hiashi are ordering me to get pregnant and have an heir, heiress or both in the next year or else Neji-ai won't be clan Head anymore, I get the cursed seal, divorce Neji-ai, he gets re-married to someone he doesn't love, and I get shoved into the Branch family, where I most likely will die because they get sent on the more dangerous missions taking place in the Land of Lightning. But I'd rather wait, because neither I nor Neji-ai's ninja careers are over yet. I don't want our child to be like either of us; growing up alone. That's a fate I wouldn't bestow on anyone."

-insert shocked faces and Kenisha breaking the silence-

"OK, LET'S JUST GET THE MISSION DETAILS AND GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!!"

"But aren't you worried about Lee-san? You haven't told him about going anywhere out of the village yet," Hinata asked, putting on her innocent face.

"Hai, but as long as he knows where I'm going he's fine. I'm sure that Tsunade-baa-chan will tell him because I have some unfinished business with snake-ass." She cracked her knuckles.

"We're not going after Orochimaru, we're going after some assassins that his subordinate's master sent to kill you. I thought I'd bring you guys along."

"Then count me out, I'm only going after Orochimaru. I'm getting this fucking seal off my chest. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO TAKE A SHOWER WITHOUT THE REMINDER THAT OROCHIMARU EXPERIMENTED ON ME AND TOUCHED MY BOOBS, OK? SO I'M TAKING THE S RANK AND KICKING HIS PEDOPHILING ASS!!"

"You eavesdropped, didn't you?"

"When don't I? So can I go after him now?" She punched the air a couple times and smiled. "Onegai?"

"IIE! YOU'RE GOING ON THAT MISSION WITH TENTEN AND IF YOU STRAY I'M STRIPPING YOU OF ANBU STATUS!!"

"Shouldn't you have already done that? I did leave the village you know."

"You didn't do it out of hostility. Now shut up and leave my office."

We did and as soon as we were at the bottom of the stairs, Kenisha ran off to Lee's. Probably to say goodbye and change her outfit, _again._ Hinata stayed with me and offered to help me find Neji. I turned it down. Even though I love him more than anything in the god damn world, even weapons, I'd rather not see him today.

"Alright. I'll go by the manor and give Naruto-koi and Minato-kun instuctions on what to do while I'm gone. I haven't left them alone in a while."

"I'll come with you. I need something to do. Besides, I haven't messed with Naruto in a while." She giggled.

"True, he misses you and your "panda ears", TenTen-nee-chan. And Minato wants to see more of his Auntie Tennie."

"Isn't Hanabi his aunt?"

Hinata stopped smiling. "She's back in her "Daddy's Little Girl" phase. She's gonna do whatever he wants her to do. Why do you think she broke up with Konohamaru?"

"Oh." We turned a corner and decided to take to the roofs, arriving at the manor in a matter of minutes. "There's those damn guards again."

"Name and password, brunette. Hinata-sama, you can go ahea--"

"Iie, I don't think I will. You need to start letting her in without having to ask her those meaningless questions.'

"But Hiashi--"

"I. Don't. Give. A. Damn what my father said or ordered you to do. You're going to stop mistreating her and any other outside member of the Hyuuga clan this way or else you'll answer to me." She activated her Byakugan and put her fingers to her temples. The guards were obvious Branch members and were afriad of thier curse marks activating.

"H-Hai, Hinata-sama. My apologies. TenTen-sama, you can go ahead inside." The guards bowed. "We're terribly sorry."

"It's nothing, it's what you were ordered to do," I said, bowing back. "Have a nice day."

"Arigatou."

We entered the manor and I gave Hinata a big hug. "Arigatou, Hinata-nee-chan. You don't know how much that meant to me."

"Actually I do," she said, hugging me back, "they needed to be taught a lesson anyway." I nodded in agreement and followed Hinata to her part of the Hyuuga manor, which was right next to mine. Minato came running out, hugging Hinata's legs.

"HI MOMMY!! CAN YOU TAKE ME OUT FOR SOME RAMEN TODAY? DADDY ALREADY LEFT AND SAID THAT I COULD GO WHEN I'M 9!" He held up 7 fingers, and I giggled.

"I can't, Minato-kun. Mommy has a mission today and won't be back for a little bit."

"Why?" His little lip was trembling. He's probably never been away from Hinata before.

"Because Mommy volunteered to help Auntie Tennie beat some mean people up, and Auntie Nisha is coming too. We'll be back soon, promise." She let him process all of that information and then stepped back.

"What's he gonna do?"

"Just watch."

Minato was trembling all over until he couldn't seem to contain himself any longer. "YAY!! YOU'RE GOING ON A MISSION TO FIGHT BAD GUYS AND HAVE FUN, RIGHT?" Hinata giggled and nodded. "SO THAT MEANS WHEN YOU GET BACK, YOU CAN TEACH ME ALL THE STUFFS THAT YOU USED WHEN YOU WERE ON THE MISSION, RIGHT?" She nodded again. "THAT'S AWESOME!! I'M GONNA BE THE 8TH HOKAGE WITH ALL OF THIS STUFFS!! WHOOO HOOOO!!"

He continued to run around our legs until we felt someone land behind us. "Yo, Hina-hime."

"DADDY!!" Minato rushed to hug his father, and Naruto picked him up and swung him around. I noted his outfit. _'No wonder his kid's crazy about becoming Hokage.' _Naruto was wearing his custom-made Hokage attire; not that he was Hokage yet. His cloak was black and had flames at the bottom. He wasn't wearing the hat, though Minato was; it fell over his eyes. "Whatcha doin'? You couldn'ta finished already!"

"Yeah, son, I did. AND IT WAS DELICIOUS!!" He turned to Hinata. "But a little birdy told me that you were going on an A rank with TenTen-chan and Kenisha-chan." He rubbed the back of his head and smiled. "Well, it'd be your first mission since Minato was born, huh?"

"Hai." He smirked.

"Awesome. C'mere." He opened his arms and Hinata came into them; they closed around her like a clamp. "You better not get hurt, 'kay? I don't want Minato to worry about both of his parents." He kissed her.

"I won't, Naru-koishi. Promise," she kissed him back. She got out of his amrs and gave Minato a peck on the nose. "Now you be good for Daddy, alright?"

Minato saluted her. "HAI MOMMY! I WON'T BE BAD, PROMISE!"

"I know you won't." She turned to me with her serious face on. "Let's go." I nodded. We teleported to the main gate and found that Kenisha wasn't there.

"Great, now we have to wait for her."

_Kenisha's POV_

I was back in another variation of my bounty hunter outfit: midnight purple turtle neck, long midnight purple scarf, same color pants, black Chinese shoes, and my trusy katanas. I had some ribbon of the same color on my wrists to hide the recent scars. My peridot necklace was touching my seal again, and it hurt like a mother fucker. But I ignored it, as usual. My iPod was tucked in my bra; the only place no person but Lee would ever touch. After I had changed, Lee gave me a lecture. He really is getting protective; not that he wasn't before.

"I understand that you want to get the seal off and kill Orochimaru, but you're not going to stray from your mission."

"Yeah, Baa-chan already made sure I wouldn't by threatening my job."

"Didn't work?"

"Nope!" He came up to me and put his hands on my shoulders.

"Listen to me: Don't go after him. We've all got enough on our plate without you taking a suicide mission."

"But I already told you: The missions are connected! If we kill the dude's assassin buddies, then snake-ass will get pissed and plan something else to get me or something." I gave him a look that said, "and you fuckin' know it." "He'll never leave me alone, Lee-koi. I'm like a damn prize to him; he needs me for his twisted shit. I've gotta go."

Lee sighed and pulled me into his arms. "Just don't do anything I'm expecting you to do. I don't want to lose you again."

"I'll try not to, but if the time calls for it, I will." I hugged him tight then kissed his lips. "'Sides, since when am I supposed to do what I'm _expected _to do?" He chuckled lightly.

"True. Be safe, koi."

"You know I will, koi. Aishiteru."

"Aishiteru." We kissed one last time and then I teleported outta there, reappearing infront of TenTen and Hinata.

"Yo."

"Took ya long enough."

"Yeah, but I have one last thing to do." I whistled sharply and Kami-kun came running.

**"Hey Koneko! Have I gotta fuse with ya again?"**

"Hai. Let's do it." I turned to the two, who were watching eagerly. "Prepare to have your minds blown harder than Anko-sensei blows Kakashi-sensei's balls."

"That was disgusting, but yeah."

I made the familiar hand signs and shouted, "Art of the Kimochi: Familiar Fusion!" The light was blinding, and I felt my body become more harder, better, faster, and stronger, not to mention the ears, tail, slanted eyes, whiskers, and bitchin' claws I got along with that.

When I was finished, they just stared. "Something wrong?"

"Nope; you just look cool!"

"Domo. C'mon, we've got some bastards to kill!"

"Hai!"

We ran out of Konohagakure, not knowing what really awaited us in the Land of Bears.

* * *

"Sir, the Konoha ninja are coming, along with the Kurosendo Koneko. Things are going just as planned."

The shadow in front of the assassin laughed coldly, the high-pitched sound bouncing off the walls. "Good. I've been expecting her for quite some time now...let's see how much she's improved...Kimochi Kenisha..." A light flickered on and off, and in a breif second, a white face with a crazed expresion was seen.

The face of certain death.

Orochimaru.

* * *

**Emily: No matter how bitchin' that was, I WASN'T EVEN IN THERE!!**

**Me: Shut up, you'll get your turn.**

**Katie: -walks out of the ext angrily-**

**Emily: What's her problem?**

**Me: -smirks- She just isn't satisifed with where my plotline is going...selfish bitch.**

**Everyone: -laughs maniacally- UNTIL THE NEXT CHAPTER, MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!**

**Children: REVIEW AND GET SOME VIRTUAL CHOCOLATE!!**


	8. Intertwining Conflicts

**Me: Freakin' sweet ass-kickin' time!!**

**TenTen: Still like to make up phrases, huh?**

**Hinata: That's our Kenisha-nee-chan.**

**Me: -smirks- You know it. Let's kick some ass.**

* * *

**Intertwining Conflicts Chapter 8**

_Hinata's POV_

I just looked on as TenTen and Kenisha jumped in the tree in front of me. I didn't feel like I should be on this mission, but I wanted to feel like I was helping them in some way.

Kenisha, her past an utter nightmare, her nemesis taking her unborn child away from her, and leaving her dead inside, 3 years away from her fiancée, friends and family in depression, and a new foe appearing and taking away her water jutsu, the thing that set her apart from the rest. Her clan is gone, her jutsu are sealed away, her hopes for a family dashed, and her chance of living with her love forever questioned.

TenTen, her past also twisted, her clan destroyed by the Tsuchikage, who is now dead. Living alone for years, never noticed, always considered weak. Always persevering, but always pushed down. Kind of like me. She found love at 15 with Neji and intended to keep on loving him as best she could, despite his nature and his clan; our horrible clan. But she fears that there will be a day when he won't be with her; she knows it's inevitable. Her fear is nearly being realized, as my father and the elders are trying to exile her from the family with the cursed-seal adorning her flawless forehead. Just the thought of loving and strong TenTen carrying death on her forehead like Neji made me cringe.

I hope that I'll be able to help them in the end. Otherwise, I just might lose them. I didn't notice that I was falling behind until my friends fell back beside me.

"What's wrong, Hinata-nee-chan?" The beast-enhanced brunette gave me a worried look.

I shook my head and lowered it. "It's nothing really. Let's just keep going." TenTen shook her head and lifted my chin so my pearly white eyes were on her chocolate ones.

"Tell me." I succumbed to her gaze and sighed.

"I'm worried about you guys. And I want to help you out with your problems, but I'm afraid that I'm not being anything more than a nuisance." Kenisha grinned.

"Is that all? I thought you were gonna piss yourself or somethin'. Seriously, Hina-nee-chan, you've just gotta worry about yourself. Believe me, if you have other people worrying about you, you'll be in more trouble then you were already in." She looked away, staring into the distance. "You'll be hurt more…" She jumped away.

I looked at her and tried to imagine what it was like; having everyone that you loved hurt before your eyes, not once, not twice, but three times. First were her clan, then the people she held close being hurt in an illusion, and the hurt she was causing them when she left. Truth is I couldn't imagine it.

"Hinata-nee-chan, look at me." I remembered TenTen's fingers on my chin and looked up into her eyes again. I couldn't help but admire them for a minute. They were so unlike mine, they had a somewhat warm glow to them that I knew mine would never truly show. Her eyes showed life, all the happiness and successes, all the pain. They told a story. They had pupils too, that's a big plus. It means that she's neither blind nor part of this crazy clan. No wait, what am I saying, She is part of the clan, just not with the cursed kekkei genkai. "Stop comparing your eyes to mine."

"How'd you know?"

"I read people by their eyes too, remember? And you've gotta stop downing yourself. You're getting back in that habit again, and its making me worry. And you know I hate worrying, especially about someone I love like my sister." She looked at me then at Kenisha, who was a few trees away, her earphones plugged in her ears, listening to her iPod at full blast.

"Gomen nasai, TenTen-nee--"

"You're not supposed to apologize for caring. You're only supposed to apologize if you did something wrong. At least that's what Neji-koi says." She let go of my chin and petted my hair. "Now you stop being so sad, 'kay Hina-nee-chan?"

I giggled; she was treating me like a child. "Hai, _Kaa-san._" I stuck my tongue out at her.

She turned pink. "I am not! I'm just helping," she said exasperatedly.

"Funny, Tennie-chan, really funny," I laughed.

"Let's go get Nisha-nee-chan and hurry to the Land of Bears, 'kay?" I nodded and in one jump we got to her; she was leaning on the tree, still listening to her iPod. The odd thing was her shirt and pants were black; she must've changed while TenTen and I talked.

"….Kenisha-nee-chan?" TenTen waved a hand in front of her face, but she didn't say anything, only closed her eyes. The song she was listening to went into the chorus, and I understood the change in color. She was singing/screaming the lyrics.

_I'M..._

_FALLING IN THE BLACK!_

_SLIPPING THROUGH THE CRACKS!_

_FALLING TO THE DEPTHS, CAN I EVER GO BACK?_

_DREAMING OF THE WAY IT USED TO BE_

_CAN YOU HEAR ME?_

_FALLING IN THE BLACK!_

_SLIPPING THROUGH THE CRACKS!_

_FALLING TO THE DEPTHS, CAN I EVER GO BACK?_

_FALLING INSIDE THE BLACK!_

_FALLING INSIDE_

_FALLING INSIDE_

_THE BLACK!!_

Even when screaming, her singing voice was beautiful. Yet when she's singing this song, it's a terrible beauty. Before she could sing anymore, TenTen ripped the earphones from her ears.

"SNAP OUT OF IT," she yelled in her face. I have to admit, that's a little rude, but who am I to complain.

"…Gomen." She got up and sighed. "I get like that a lot. It helps me when I get lost in the music…" She looked right at me and smiled. "Sometimes music can help you forget about your troubles, if it's the right song. You've just gotta find your song, Hinata-nee-chan."

I nodded and she smiled. "Thatta girl." She looked over at TenTen, who seemed to understand already. "Let's go, for real this time."

"Yeah."

_Kenisha's POV_

It was about two hours before we got to the Land of Bears, where we rented a room at a local hotel. I had to unfuse with Kami-kun and make him go around the back so I wouldn't arouse suspicion.

"So, are the assassins near?"

Hinata had her Byakugan activated since she sensed something outside. "I can't really tell….but those men are really suspicious."

"We'll deal with them later. Right now, let's get some sleep."

TenTen looked at the clock. "But it's only 3 PM."

"They'll most likely attack us at night, so we have to be ready. They wouldn't try a broad daylight thing if they're wearing all black."

"But you are."

I smirked. "That's cuz it's my trademark. I can't be the Kurosendo Koneko otherwise."

Hinata giggled. "Yeah you would. You'd have ears and a tail!" I flicked my tail around and tickled her with it, and she giggled more.

"Your giggle is cute, Hina-nee-chan, why do you hide it behind your hand?"

"Because it's rude."

I hit her with my tail. "It is not! Giggling is a step away from laughing therefore its not rude, its FUN. So giggle it out, my blue-haired kunoichi friend!"

"Her hair's more violet, Nisha-nee-chan."

"So? I was close!!"

We all laughed until Kami-kun sent me a message. _**'We should unfuse for now. I feel like something is…off right now.'**_

'_Hai.' _I unfused with him and gave him a look. "What is it?"

He suddenly growled and made a scene trying to restrain himself. **"He's close...We need to get out of here." **

"Get suited up guys." They complied and I turned away, touching my chest softly. I felt my heart wrench, and looked down my shirt. The seal was burning me again, and the peridot wasn't helping. It only gave the mark more power. I turned the necklace around and hissed. The gem burned my back.

I nodded to Kami-kun and fused back with him, and gestured TenTen and Hinata to follow me. When we checked out of the hotel and were jumping over the rooftops, TenTen asked, "Who's he?"

I gave her a grave look. "Do you really need to ask?" I could almost feel the dirty man's hands on me. And the cold eyes of the albino bastard as he stuck needles into me flesh. I tasted blood in my mouth as I bit my cheek to calm down. No way in hell are tehy getting me back now that I'm out.

My katanas are gonna find a way into their hearts.

TenTen gasped. "Orochimaru…" She put on her ANBU mask. Guess she found out that it wasn't the time to fool around.

Hinata activated her Byakugan through her mask and glared.

"What? What do you see?"

"That bastard is nearer than we think…."

_Neji's POV_

"What the hell do you mean "TenTen's gone"? She's my wife and I have a right to know where she is!" Why is she doing this?

Tsunade just locked her fingers together and leaned on her desk. "I can't help it: She told me not to tell you she's leaving in the first place."

"And why would she do that?"

Tsunade sighed. "Even with the Byakugan, Hyuuga Neji, you're damn blind." She got up, reached up, and put a hand on my shoulder. "She needs time away from your clan, Neji. They're….well, let's just say they're not in their right minds as of yet."

"They never have been, never will. Now why is TenTen-koi disappearing without my knowledge and taking Hinata-chan and Kenisha-san with her?" She'd better not be on a mission…

"Ask your cousin, Naruto. He'll give you a full briefing. I'm going back to work, and I suggest you do the same." She sat back on her chair and turned it around to face the large window. I took that as my sign to leave and exited the room, closing the door behind me.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but have to find Naruto. My first stop, the Ichiraku Ramen Shop. And who do I find, instead of the knuckle-head ninja, Lee, eating less than enthusiastically out of his miso pork ramen.

"Oi, Lee, mind if I join you?" He looked up and smiled.

"Neji! Well, um, how are you?"

"Not too well, I'm afraid. TenTen-koi is on a mission with Hinata-chan and Kenisha-san, but I don't know why or where they're going." I sat down and ordered what Naruto usually ordered. Yeah, I'm that off without TenTen.

Lee smiled. "Well, I can help. Kenisha-koi said that they're going into the Land of Bears to take out some assassins that have some connection with Orochimaru. TenTen only took the mission to escape the harsh threats from the elders and the former Head of the Hyuuga clan." Lee looked down into his ramen broth and I ate my noodles in silence. Now I understood why TenTen never came with me to family meetings or special briefings with the elders. My uncle was a given; if he was already hateful to me, his blood, then she wouldn't stand a chance. She was afraid of them.

"It's a horrible thing, to be threatened where you think you are safe." I nodded; I know that feeling all too well. The curse mark is proof.

"I told Kenisha-koi that she is not to go after him, but I'm afraid that she's never really listened to what I've said." He chuckled with a slight darkness to it. "I just hope she's alright, as well as the other two."

I got an idea at his words. "Why don't we request to go as back-up?"

Lee grinned. "Let's get Naruto."

"Hn."

You'd better be alive when I get there, TenTen. I'm going to help you….I'm going to heal all the wounds that those bastards gave you.

I'm coming, TenTen. You don't have to run away anymore.

_Normal POV_

The warehouse that the two cohorts had bunked in was now totally abandoned, for the occupants had moved to a small hut in the Land of Bears, near a local hotel.

The albino psychopath chuckled. "So just feeling my presence near frightens you, Kimochi Kenisha?"

"It's amazing that she didn't recognize mine, my Lord," said a deep scratchy male voice, laughing in a wheeze seconds later. "Do you think that she forgot about me," he said in mock thoughtfulness.

"Oh no, no...The little kunoichi must've just been too urgent to escape to notice yours. But don't worry, my wizened friend." Orochimaru stood up and put a hand on the man's shoulder. "You'll get your chance to repay her. But for now, we've got to bring her back. She's had her year-and-a-half run; now it's about time she got more _enhancements._"

The old man chuckled. "She's gonna get a lot more than enhancements this time….I wasn't finished _playing with her_ last time….I bet she's even more tender and juicy than last time...I can torture her with my pleasure..." His perverted laughter rang throughout the tiny hut.

"My, my, I never knew you to prey on the young, Ryoku."

"Look who's talking. Besides, there are a lot of things you don't know about me, Lord Orochimaru." The old man took off his mask, revealing the burned, scarred, and heavily wrinkled face of the Tsuchikage, a.k.a Ryoku.

"Yes, I'll have to get you cleaned up as well. Your body is growing old."

Ryoku laughed. "That it may be, but I plan on using her body next I see her. Her ultimate demise will be becoming my body, the body of the one who took everything from her…"

"But Ryoku, you haven't taken everything away from her. Not yet anyway…"

"Oh, but I shall! And I have you to thank, Lord Orochimaru, for reviving me so I can accomplish this goal."

Orochimaru chuckled and then put on a bored look. "Now, I know I may have asked this in the past, but what is your anger with the Kimochi clan?"

Ryoku smiled sadistically. "I'm glad you asked, my Lord. Well, since they took everything away from me, I decided to return the favor."

"And what exactly did they take away from you, Ryoku?"

"My wife….my beautiful wife….Kimochi Houtei."

Orochimaru's eyes widened. "Oooo, that is _juicy_! Now, mind telling me what generation was she?"

Ryoku got a crazed look and replied. "Second. Right beind the elders, matter of fact. After I was exiled for my..._means of persuasion_ with a certain elder, she decided to stay; to leave me. She decided to have our child in Soragakure. That child was that water rat's mother."

Orochimaru laughed coldly. "Oh, the irony! Go on, go on!"

"They publicly executed her, Houtei, for connection with me; I was the _bad egg_, so to speak. They kept everything hush-hush, so as not to scare the young ones. Little Kenisha never knew her grandparents existed… And she tried to kill me...her grandfather..." He began to chuckled, but it soon became a laugh and that laugh turned into a wild fit of insanity. "Haha…hahahaha…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!" He panted after his crazed laughter and looked up, sighing. "Oh, do I wish to control her; own her. A life for a life. But I will soon get my chance…."

"That you shall, Ryoku. We're going after them now." Ryoku made some handsigns.

"Hell yes….EARTH STYLE: ONE WITH THE WORLD!" The two melted into the ground and traveled through it, like water in a pipe, to their targets.

It was their time to strike.

* * *

**Emily: Holy-**

**Sasuke: -Shit.**

**Katie: -sigh- Idiots…**

**Kids: REVIEW IT!**


	9. New Findings, New Feelings

**Me: You know the drill, READ THE CHAPTER!!**

**Chapter 9- New Findings, New Feelings**

_Emily's POV_

God, what have I done wrong this time?

Seriously, I'm only trying to wrap my head around my uke-nin cousin being back, Orochimaru coming back from the dead, and the sad fact that I haven't gotten laid in 4 days.

Seriously, what the HELL did I do to you?

I got up from the couch and walked to the master bedroom, where my Sasuke was laying down watching Jerry Springer. No way in hell was I letting that go on.

I slowly walked in; he didn't even notice I was there. '_He must be glued to the image of that whore's boobs popping outta her shirt. Pervert,' _I thought angrily, my rage boiling through me like a raging fire. So I let the fire out.

All over the TV.

"EMILY-TENSHI, WHAT THE FUCK!?"

"IF YOU WANT TO WATCH BOOBS ALL DAY, THEN FUCK ME, DAMMIT!!"

"YOU KNOW I WOULD IF I COULD GET THE KIDS OUT OF HERE!"

"JUST FUCKIN' SHUT UP ALREADY!!"

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO STARTED IT!!"

"WANNA MAKE OUT?"

"HELL YEAH!"

I pounced on him and he threw the remote aside, his hands becoming occupied with my hair and face. I bit on his lip harder than necessary. But he didn't seem to mind; he just shoved his tongue into my mouth and let it explore places it already knows. I kissed him back with just as much vigor and I felt my lips bruise. "Just a quick one, E…"

My hands were already ripping through his thin black shirt, scratching his chest. He grunted a little and slit open my jacket, shirt, and bra with a kunai he had under his pillow. "I'm glad you put that there," I said, feeling the familiar warm throbbing from my core.

He kissed my neck and smirked against it. "I know." Then he grabbed my left breast roughly and bit my neck. I moaned.

"S-Sasuke…." My hands went to his pants immediately and ripped them off; his hands were already down my underwear, rubbing me. "Stop teasing me…."

"But you're so wet….so delicious…." He pulled his fingers away and licked them in front of me. I splurged a little more. _'God, yaoi thoughts….' _He put his fingers in me and I cried out.

"Sasuke--" He slid his fingers out and plunged his length into me before I could find time to think. All I could do was follow my instincts and move with him.

After a couple minutes of out of control fucking, as Sasuke calls it, I began to buck clawing the skin on his back. "I'm about t-to come, Sasuke…." I grunted, holding it in.

"It's ok, babe, I'm coming too," he gritted back, and then we both screamed.

_Neji's POV_

I knocked on their door, knowing I wouldn't get a response for a little bit. Stupid Naruto….

"Hello…!! Neji!? What the hell are you--"

"No time, you oaf. We've got wives to save."

Naruto's expression turned serious. "Something happened?"

"We're going as back-up, just in case. You know that their mission is closely linked with Orochimaru, right?" He nodded, his fists balled up to suppress his anger.

"Well, that's why we're going as back-up. That Kimochi can't keep herself out of trouble, and she's going to drag my TenTen and Hinata-nee into it…."

I'd only just noticed Lee running up to us, holding a slip of paper, so I shut up. "What's that, Lee?"

He huffed a little before continuing. "Instructions…."

"For what?"

"For the seal, from Yamato. He knows how to break it, but he can't come with us, so he said that you should do it." I took the paper from Lee and read it over swiftly, my eyebrows creasing more and more as I read on.

"I can't do it, Lee."

His eyes widened in shock then narrowed in fury. "And why can't you?"

"I can't manipulate wood; I'm a Hyuuga, remember?" He nodded in understanding, but didn't lose his heated expression.

"So, are we going to see the girls or not? LET'S GO!!" He ran to the gates, the Lee and I not so far behind. I felt sorry for not being able to do as Lee and Yamato requested, but what could I do? I'm just a Hyuuga; I can't make miracles happen. It's not my fate.

_Normal POV_

Tsunade overlooked her village and frowned.

"What's wrong, Tsunade-sama?"

"I sense something horrible is about to happen, Shizune."

"How do you know?"

"I ran out of sake; a bad omen, for an alcoholic such as myself."

Shizune tensed. "What do think will happen, Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade turned to her, her expression grave. "Involving Orochimaru in any mission is deadly as is… these situations can only get worse, Shizune."

"Dear Lord... I hope their back-up gets there fast enough…"

"They'd better, Shizune. They'd better."

Of in the distance, already away from the village, a red Chakra illuminated the darkness of the trees.

_Hinata's POV_

We've been running away for about an hour now, and Kenisha showed no signs of stopping.

"Hinata-nee-chan, how close do think he is?"

I focused for a moment and replied, "Not far, about 600 meters away."

"Does he have someone else with him," TenTen asked, thinking about the assassins we saw earlier.

"An old guy, by any chance," Kenisha added, looking demanding.

I didn't get her questions, but I answered anyway. "Yes, there was one…"

Kenisha cursed and immediately ran ahead of both of us, practically jumping into Kami-kun. She came out of the light with black hair, ears, claws, and a fluffy tail.

"Get a move on!! He's gonna catch up!!"

"Who is?" TenTen was the only one who seemed unnaturally calm about this. Must be Neji-nii rubbing off on her.

"Do you remember your parents, TenTen-nee-chan?" TenTen's face twisted into a frown and her eyes narrowed.

"That man? We _killed_ that man, Kenisha-nee…" Her right hand inched at her scroll, still secure at the base of her hips.

My head was swimming. _'He was the one that killed everyone…. The one that nearly killed us…. Oh no…'_

Kenisha suddenly stopped and turned around, sighing. I felt a small tremble in the earth, and wondered what was causing it. TenTen stopped near her looked concerned. "What's wrong?"

"We weren't fast enough…" was all she had to say. TenTen got vicious immediately as she felt the all-too-familiar Chakra signature of a certain homicidal Kage. I got into my Gentle Fist stance and waited. Waited to fight to the death.

_TenTen's POV_

We all got ready for inevitable.

We all got ready to kill the ones who killed people we loved, and were ready to die in the process, if it came to it. At least, I think we were.

When the ground shook again, it was closer to us, more pronounced. Then two human shapes slid out of the earth, one of them chuckling in that snake-like hiss.

"Why hello there… so good to see you again, Ms. Kimochi Kenisha…" The other shape looked right at Kenisha, and I felt an odd sense of fear, just in that gesture. It wasn't even towards me.

The earth fell off of the men and revealed their slightly aged selves. Orochimaru, albino as ever, a couple wrinkles above his eye, no doubt from frustration. The Tsuchikage, his face adorned with more wrinkles than the last time we saw him, and more scars on him, and his torso. Yes; the old fucker wasn't wearing a shirt.

How disgusting.

Kenisha was still paralyzed; her eyes glued to the Tsuchikage's, fright, ache, and resentment speckled in those brown orbs. Her mouth was closed in a thin line, her hair blowing in the soft breeze. But her fists were clenched over the hilts of her katanas, and I knew she meant business.

"Not even going to respond? My my, you lack the manners we taught you, Kenisha."

She tore her eyes from the Tsuchikage's and glared at his face instead. "Stop using my name. The name of a Kimochi should never be allowed to escape your lips, you conceited, power-hungry, PEDOPHILE BASTARD!!"

The force of her anger surprised me, at least a little bit. I didn't really expect her to hold back, but then again, she's a new Kenisha now.

"Ah, ah, ah. You aren't allowed to speak out of turn. Did you forget the punishment?" something about the way he said that made me cringe. What the hell was he _doing _to her when they held her captive there?

Kenisha stiffened as he took a step toward her, and in a flash was leaning into her face. "Are you ready to accept your punishment?" She didn't respond and he backhanded her, making her fly into the air and land a few feet away.

Now, _no one_ backhands my friends. And definitely, _no one_ backhands my Nee-chan.

The fucker seemed surprised when a couple dozen kunai and shuriken came at his head. He deflected some and went underground again, reappearing next to Orochimaru.

"She broke the rules; she deserves what she gets," he said evenly, gesturing to Kenisha, who was being helped up by Hinata. The Hyuuga heiress was radiating anger, as I was. Once she was up, Kenisha disappeared. I assumed it was one of the plans she had made herself, cuz she didn't speak of it with me.

It failed, though; her claws stopped an inch away from Orochimaru's neck, her own neck being held in a vice by the Tsuchikage.

Hinata ran up next, spinning as she went, and shouted, "1000 SPINNING PALMS OF FURY!!" She hit them, Orochimaru and the Tsuchikage, with more punches and elbows than I could count; all the while making sure she didn't hit Kenisha. She span again and again, evading their counter attacks and doing _the Matrix _at one point. When she was done, their forms melted into muddy puddles. She caught Kenisha and rubbed her throat, making sure her airways were clear. I ran toward them.

Seems I wasn't needed for anything, and it was my mission to begin with.

"Is she alright?"

"Of course I'm not, THE FUCKERS GOT AWAY!!" She growled and got up quickly, unfusing with Kami-kun and running alongside him off into the distance. I ran after her, trying to make sense of what just happened.

She can't have been running fast enough, because I caught up with her after a couple minutes of pursuit. "Kenisha-nee-chan, what's wrong?"

She punched a tree, refusing to answer. But I have ways of making her talk. "Kenisha-nee-chan, tell me, or this kusunagi is going up your ass."

Sadly, it didn't work. "Your threats don't scare me anymore; you'd never hurt me, that's how I know… that's how I know that they will…" Whoa, hang on!

"What did they do to you in that place, Nee-chan?"

She looked at me with a look of such pain, such fear, I briefly flinched before holding her shoulders gently and looked into her eyes. "What did they do to you, Kenisha?"

She took a deep breath before speaking. "When I was first captured by them… I was experimented on, mainly to test their latest drugs… That explains my up and down behavior. But mainly… he experimented on my reproductive organs and anything that molds Chakra in my system." She didn't' pause as I gasped. "He tried to make more "Killer Kimochi" as they called then, from me. It didn't work, obviously. And my Chakra is still in good shape, though now I can't use any water jutsu without giving myself a heart attack. That's the effects from the seal as well. I can't be a Kimochi anymore because of it."

She didn't look like she was going to continue, so I said, "Kenisha-nee-chan, when we see them again, I'm going to kill them myself. For what they did--"

"That was only what Orochimaru did, TenTen-nee-chan." She dropped to the ground and held her knees, burying her head into them. "That's only what _Orochimaru _did to me, TenTen!" I held her to me immediately, Hinata doing the same; she was breathing hard, having just sprinted here.

"What did that bastard of a Kage do to you, Kenisha-nee-chan," Hinata asked, her voice going cold when speaking of the insane Kage.

"He….he took me into a dark room, tied a rough cloth around my eyes and some metal cuffs that were too small for me; they hurt." She took a deep breath again, but this time it caught. A small whimper escaped her. "He tore me apart…"

Hinata seemed to think that was enough, but I'm not as soft. I may love her, and I don't want her to relive any of whatever that pixie-dicked bastard put her through, but I needed to know. "How did he tear you apart, Nee-chan?"

She curled up into a smaller ball several cries came from her. Kami-kun padded toward us and explained what she could not.

"**He raped her numerous times; he made me watch. And after he was done, he carved her out." **His fierce golden eyes narrowed as he thought of the term. **"You don't know what that means, do you?" **Our puzzled expression made him sigh -- well, growl softly.

We shook our heads. **"It means he used his dirty fuckin' fingernails with sharp things attached to rip the insides of her out. That way every time he came back into that room, it hurt her more; he took his time once, hitting her and making her bleed. I couldn't move and bite his head off, though. I couldn't do anything…"**

He looked down at Kenisha for a moment, who was still in her ball, her shaking fingers putting her earphones in her ears. She didn't want to hear this. **"I couldn't prevent it from happening to her, not then. But now….. NOW I'M GOING TO THROW HIS SHREDDED CARCASS INTO THE MOLTEN CORE OF HELL AND WATCH AS HIS SCREAMS TURN INTO GURGLING CRIES FOR FORGIVENESS!! THEN I WILL TAKE HIM TO THE 9****TH**** LAYER OF HELL AND DO TO HIM 1,OOO TIMES WORSE THAN WHAT HE DID TO HER!! I WANT TO WATCH HIM BURN!!"**

'_Ironic: He's a water summoning and he wants to watch someone burn…' _The song blasting through Kenisha's ears was Paperthin Hymn by Anberlin. It's weird song to pick, considering Paperthin Hymn is a break-up/love song. Unless she was thinking about how Lee had said he'd protect her, and he wasn't there. Then she began to sing what I assumed was the part that held importance to her.

"_I thought you said forever_

_  
Over and over_

_  
A sleepless night becomes bitter oblivion_

These thoughts run through my head

_Over and over_

_  
Complaints of violins become my only friends_

August evenings

_  
Bring solemn warnings  
_

_To remember to kiss the ones you love goodnight_

You never know what temporal days may bring

_Laugh, love, live free and sing  
_

_When life is in discord  
_

_Praise ye the lord…."_

I don't get what the relevance of praying to the Lord would do for Kenisha; she didn't believe in him anyway. She only said "Kami-sama" out of respect for our beliefs.

She slowly took the earphones out of her ears and got up, wiping her eyes with the side of her right hand.

"I'm going out for a little bit. Bye…." Then she dashed away from us, and after the dust cleared, I saw her peridot necklace and her hitai-ate on the ground where she had been curled up.

"**I'll be off too. I'm going to keep you posted, though, She won't get leave my sight." **Then Kami-kun left too.

_Kenisha's POV_

I ran faster and faster, determined to leave Kami-kun in the dust. He'd be off my trail if I went into a body of water fast enough. Then again, we were in dry land, with nothing but trees and vast expanses of tan dirt in between. So I jumped into the trees and climbed up the highest one, then after taking a breath, willingly fell off.

The branches hit me, of course, but not with the same force as the way_ he_ had hit me. My hair caught on one of the branches and when I passed, some of my hair stayed with it. As my body was battered and bruised, Kami-kun was maneuvering through the branches, trying to catch me in his teeth. Sadly, he succeeded.

While he lowered us down the branches as softly as he could, the jolts still caused an ache in my shoulders. Through his clenched teeth, he scolded me. **"Do you know what that idiot stunt would've done to you? God, now I feel like your babysitter instead of the other way around. When are you going to learn some sense, Koneko?"**

"One, you need to put me down. Two, I'm still your babysitter: Hokkaido wouldn't rest easily if he thought I wasn't capable of it. And three, I may never learn sense. It's futile to beat it into me, I know that much…"

He plopped my butt on the ground as soon as his forepaws touched land. **"Get on my back; we're going back to TenTen and Hinata."**

"No matter how much you drag me, I'm not going back to them. Being around them gets them in trouble more often than not."

"**And leaving them alone may prove the same results that you got from that cynical bastard. Now let's go." **I jumped on his back instantaneously, and he sped toward them. They were still waiting in the clearing. TenTen immediately ran toward me, holding my peridot, which was glowing.

"I think Lee's trying to contact you, Kenisha-nee-chan." She ignored the obvious signs of my self beating as she handed it to me, but I could tell in her eyes she was disappointed with the way I'd handled it.

_I focused my Chakra and sighed as I pulled myself into the image of Lee running toward us, with Naruto and Neji in tow. He looked at me and frowned._

"_What's wrong, Kenisha-koi?" He obviously seen my bruises. I shook my head and pointed to the left. _

"_You'll find us if you run there for a few meters. I'll explain later." I smiled at him as best I could, forgetting that it hurt. He grinned back and broke the connection._

I sighed again and turned to the rest. "Lee and the others are coming; they'll be here in a couple seconds, if they pushed it."

"You mean Naruto-koishi and Neji-nii-san?"

"Yeah." Hinata beamed and when I pointed at a group of trees, Naruto in his One-Tailed Kyuubi form quickly changed back into himself and hugged Hinata fiercely.

"Hinata-hime…." I ignored them for a couple seconds to see what Neji and TenTen were doing, and found that they were glaring at each other.

"This mission could've killed you, TenTen."

"It still can; we haven't completed it yet. The assassins are still at large, and we have to watch our backs a little better."

"Why is that?"

"Why do you think, genius?! Didn't you get the full briefing from Tsunade-sama?!" She stomped away from him and stayed about two yards from where he was. Neji continued glaring.

"If Orochimaru was involved, then why did you--"

"I went because I wanted to escape from our fucked up family!! And Tsunade-sama told you that as well; why did you feel the need to go after me!?"

Neji took a few furious steps forward and growled, "Because it's my right as your husband and your best friend." He took another step. "And because I don't want you to die."

She scoffed. "Yeah, of course you don't. The great Hyuuga Neji has spoken. Now what other wisdom can he bestow upon us? I know that already Neji! I've tried my hardest _not to die _because of that!" She balled dup her fists and shook her head angrily. "Dammit Neji, I _can't_ die!"

Neji activated his Byakugan and glared even harder at TenTen. "That's not what my eyes see, TenTen. You can die; you have weak points. You can get hurt; you have flaws. And you can't back away from a fight; you're stubborn. But the hardest thing of all to accept for you, the hardest of them all, is that you can't help others. Just one sweep from my Byakugan tells me everything that transpired today. You sat and watched as Hinata and Kenisha were fighting for their lives. You sat there and held Kenisha as she cried. And you're standing here now, listening to me list everything you've kept hidden inside you for the past 6 months."

TenTen balked for a second then regained her ground and made her eyebrows form an even sharper V. "HYUUGA NEJI, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TALK!! I don't even need your precious Byakugan to see that! You can also die; you have a weak point. You can also get hurt; you have a blind spot. And you can't back away from a fight because you DAMNED PRIDE GETS IN THE WAY! But the hardest thing for you, you cold, stoic, inconsiderate BASTARD is that you are unable to help me. Help _us_. Sure, you're strong. Sure, you're smart. Sure, you're a Hyuuga with the gift of the Byakugan. But with all that, you can't help me. You can help everyone BUT me."

Neji couldn't speak for a second, his glare faltering for a moment. But he got back into it immediately. "Fine. I shouldn't have come if this is the thanks I get."

"Glad you finally figured that out. And since you're leaving, I might as well leave as well. A break from everything would be magnificent right about now. Sayounara."

Then TenTen walked past me, and without a second glance, summoned her companion wordlessly. A puff of smoke much like when she did her Soshoryu appeared around her, and this time, two very real dragons rose from it: one black and one white with eyes the color of blood. She jumped on the black one and took off, the white one spiraling around them much like her scrolls did. She didn't look back.

Neji glared at the quickly disappearing shapes, and while he was distracted, I took the opportunity to backhand the _shit _out of him.

"YOU FUCKHEAD! Now she's gone!! What do you have to say for yourself?!"

"Nothing." I hit him again and he didn't move. He just averted his eyes to me instead. Did I forget to mention that the Byakugan is very fuckin' scary up close?

"What do you mean "nothing"? YOU JUST DROVE YOUR WIFE AWAY!"

"And?"

This time Naruto beat me to the punch. Literally; he punched the fuck outta Neji.

"YOU BASTARD! YOU DROVE PANDA-EARS AWAY WITH ALL YOUR NEGATIVE COMMENTS AND FAMILY SHIT; THE SHIT SHE WAS TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM! YOU REALLY NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT YOURSELF, THEN TENTEN, AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE HELL YOU'VE BEEN DOING TO YOURSELF AND HER BEFORE YOU GO AROUND SENDING PEOPLE OFF TO THEIR DEATHS!!"

"And why would you say "deaths", Naruto?"

"Because Orochimaru and the assassins are still out there, Neji-nii-san," Hinata spoke up, walking calmly toward him, her own Byakugan activated. "And you just lead her towards where the escaped. Of course, she knows that. That's why she went. She originally went on this mission to get away from you and the family, and here you come, bringing all those conflicts back to her." Her hand glowed with ghostly blue Chakra as she stopped in front of him. "Now. Get. Her. BACK!" She slammed her now clenched fist into his stomach and smiled as he fell to the ground, groaning.

She turned to Naruto -her Byakugan off- and smirked. "Wanna bag a Weapon's Mistress, Naruto-koishi?"

He grinned his foxy grin back. "It'd be my pleasure, Hinata-hime!" Then he grabbed her hand, went One-Tailed Kyuubi and ran with inhuman speed toward the now out-of-sight dragons.

I finally turned to Lee, who was petting Kami-kun with practiced patience, whispering to him. I went toward them and sat down, leaning on Lee's strong legs. He smiled down at me. "How'd you get those bruises?"

"Self-abuse. I would've gotten them anyway if I'd pursued those sons of bitches. 'Sides, I'm more interested in what you and Kami-kun were talking about."

"I'm going to summon Hokkaido for him." I smiled at him and then at Kami-kun, who was jumping up and down and chasing his tail, yipping happily. I loved seeing my little dog happy.

"We should leave those two here then. I'm going after the assassins while you guys go after TenTen. Less people to stab you in the back, y'know?"

He hugged me fiercely and whispered, "Fine, but you'd better come back alive, koi."

I smirked and hit him in the head. "Course I will. Don't I always?" He laughed.

"Yes, you do."

"Then we haven't got a problem. Now summon Hokkaido; I wanna see my boy too." He complied and my big gray hulk of a wolf appeared from the smoke. Me and Kami-kun jumped on him and cuddled him, snuggled him, told him how much we missed him, etc. Then in his booming baritone of a voice, he answered, **"And I you, my little ones." **Then he nodded to me, so quickly it seemed like he hadn't moved. I knew what it meant, and I got up immediately.

"What? Where are you going?" I put my iPod earphones in my ears and flashed my incisors at him.

"To do what I need to do. I'll be back. Aishiteru, Lee-koishi." I kissed him hard, pulled away and then sprinted into the darkness of the bordering trees, feeling the wind whip through my unbound hair. My peridot shown in the darkness and I welcomed it's light, running into it, and appearing in the safe haven that was Hermione and Itachi's world.

"Hey guys, what's up?" They had their backs to me, and from the looks of it, they weren't in the mood for fooling around. "What's wrong?"

"It's TenTen," Itachi answered, smoothing out his unbound black hair and pulling it into a ponytail at the nape of his neck.

"She's in danger; the assassins and Orochimaru have her cornered." My eyes widened and I immediately ran up to Hermione, wringing her cloak collar in my hands.

"Then do your "Guardian Angel" thing and HELP HER!!"

"We can't." I let go and glared at them blasting the song "Nobody's Home" in my ears now.

"Then I will. Watch the others for me." Then I closed my eyes and ran, finding myself in the forest again, but this time, changing direction and going northwest, toward my sister; toward TenTen.

"It's ok, TenTen-nee-chan. I'm coming. Not Neji, not Hinata, not even Lee. It's me, TenTen. Your Nee-chan. I'm not letting you die like that TenTen!!"

A new burst of speed brought me closer to her, closer to my sister, closer to the danger that awaited me.

* * *

**Me: READ AND REVIEW PEOPLE!!**

**Everyone else: YEAH, WHAT THE AUTHORESS SAID!!**

* * *


	10. Broken Wings

_**SPECIAL EXTENDED CHAPTER 10:**_

**_BROKEN WINGS_**

_Tenshi ga oreta tsubasa wo naifu ni shita_

_x-The angel's wings were broken by the knife-x_

_lyrics from Knife, by The TRAX_

_TenTen's POV_

I should've known that bringing him into this was a bad idea.

Well, I didn't' really do it, but just mentioning to Tsunade-sama that I didn't want Neji to come along was ticket enough for him to come and find me. That's why I'm using Yin _and _Yang to get away.

Yin is mine, cuz I'm cheerful on outside and have a dark and storming inside. And Yang is his, because beneath his bastard-like, cold, stoic exterior, he has a pure heart; a heart that's mine to hold.

He'd be able to follow me if I hadn't taken Yang away.

"**Lady TenTen, our adversary is upon us," **Yin said, her soft yet booming voice stirring the clouds around us as we flew.

"How many times have I told you to call me 'TenTen'? And which ones?" Wait, "adversary"? "Who is it?"

"**The uke-nin," **Yang stated dryly, his bored tone surprising me. I looked down from my perch on Yin to see her running after me, yet she was still a long ways away. She'd never catch up.

"Yang, lose her. She can't follow me."

"**As you wish, love of my master." **Then the snake-like black dragon glided to the ground, the long white ridge going down his spine paler than the sunlight bouncing off it. As I watched him descend, I softly told Yin, "Let's go…"

"**Yes, Lad- I mean, TenTen…"**

We sped up in pace, her dark, fur-covered tail fluttering faster through the harsh winds. I adjusted my collar, and cursed myself for not bringing a cloak. "How much longer until we see them?"

"**Not long: My eyes have already located them: they're running through the trees, apparently to escape and report back to their leader…" **Her crimson eyes narrowed, and her top lip curled back to reveal her fangs, which were sharper than most of my weapons.

"What's wrong, Yin?"

"**They smell of blood…. Innocent blood…" **Her nostrils flared and sharp soot billowed from them. She shot down, and I held fast to her furry neck, trying to get a closer look at our targets. There were only three, all dressed in black, and had a halberd strapped to each of their backs. No match for Yin and I.

"I permit you to burn them, Yin."

"**Arigatou," **she growled before opening her maw and letting out a black tongue of flame at the assassins. They turned around and narrowly avoided it by jumping out of the way; one of them got caught in the leg, rendering him unable to move. I jumped off her and landed in the middle of the black, smoking hollow.

"The Weapons Mistress is here with a friend to apprehend you three," I said in a low voice; surely they've heard of me, but only coupled with the name of Hyuuga Neji.

Hyuuga Neji and the Weapons Mistress, Slayers of Evil and Scorchers of the Dark. A name that the villagers of some villages made up for us. It may be crappy, ut it made the other older shinobi tremble. For good reason.

"Where is the pale one?" Yep, they've heard of us.

"You won't live long enough to find out…" I drew my katana from my spine-sheath and got into a battle stance. They laughed, even the one with the burnt-off leg.

"We were hired by Orochimaru himself; you are no match for us."

"**Then draw your weapons and we'll find out," **Yin growled, her maw opening slightly to reveal her blood-colored tongue and sharper-than-swords teeth. The assassins hesitated, but then drew their halberds and ran at me and Yin. I closed my eyes and thought of my battle music: Elevator by Flo Rida feat. Timbaland. I only liked it for the beat and not so much the lyrics.

I jumped into the air and with a flick of my wrist, disarmed one of them, his halberd flying into a unsuspecting tree, embedding into the bark. I landed on the man's shoulders and silenced him forever with a slide from my blade. I jumped off and landed gracefully on my toes, leaning forward to run after my next victim. This one was quicker; he held up his halberd to defend himself. I hit it once, and then disappeared. He instantly checked behind him and above him, then all around.

Such a stupid Shinobi. I came up from below, stabbing him through his liver and out his back. Then I twisted around and brought my katana threw his side, spewing his blood across the ground and my mask, staining it.

Now, after I turned around, I knew why the third man wasn't dead yet. He was on top of Yin's neck, about to deal the final blow. That angered me.

And when you get me angered, people _die._

I jumped into the air and opened a pouch in my vest; a summoning scroll slid out. He looked up to see it unfurl, and see me disappear in its spiraling depths or kanji and paper. I bit my blood-stained thumb and drew my own blood, then spread it all over my scroll, making my weapons known. Then, with absolute precision, I threw them at him.

He blocked some of them with his halberd, but the others got around and hit him in various points of his body. All vital points, by the way.

His pitiful, pincushion-looking body slid off of Yin and crumpled to the ground. I wiped the blood from my katana on his pants, the only clean part of person. Then I inspected Yin, who had a couple cuts on his nose and had great bloody slashes on her thin yet powerful arms. I groaned.

"Yin, gomen nasai, I didn't mean for that to happen to you! Daijoubu desuka?"

"**I shall be alright. These are only scratches, after all." **Then she lowered her neck until one of her crimson eyes met my chocolate ones. **"We should get back to Yang now. Both of Yang."**

Now, what she means is that there's a Yang for her and a Yang for me, a.k.a. Neji. But she consolidates them into the same person; just halves of one person. Though I only see one thing wrong with her theory: Yang actually listens when I tell him to do something, and Neji negates any order I give him and does his own noble thing. Yet, its one of the qualities that makes him the Neji I love.

"Yes, lets go--" I stopped talking to look at the growing black shape in the sky; Yang, speeding toward us. He stopped behind Yin, brushing his nose with hers before speaking. **"The albino Shinobi and the psychopathic Kage have returned, and are at camp fighting with the others. We must hurry."**

I nodded and jumped onto Yin, taking off at the speed only a dragon can measure. My eyes were streaming with tears as we flew back toward camp. I yelled over the wind, "What about Kenisha-nee-chan?!"

"Guess who!!" I peered over to Yang, squinting ever so slightly, to see Kenisha riding on the back of Yang, waving at me. I nodded slightly and then paid attention to Yin, who was veering to right. East. Away from Neji. I hit her softly and pointed to where Yang was slowly disappearing to.

"Where are we going? Camp is up north!"

"**But Neji is this way. And he's fighting the Kage." **My grip tightened on her fur as she spoke. _'Not my Neji…'_

I looked to Yang, who was becoming a small black speck heading toward the camp. Probably to get Kenisha there to get to Lee and the others; only she knew how Orochimaru thought. And I knew how the Tsuchikage thought; put them under torture first, then kill them.

'_Neji-ai may be tough, but he may not survive long enough for me to get there and assist,_' I shook my head at the thought. Of course he would, he's Hyuuga Neji.

He's my Hyuuga Neji. _'My Neji…'_

_Neji's POV_

I dodged again, this time getting another small cut, but on my forearm this time. _'I should've known this was a bad idea..'_

I raised my hand and twisted around, aiming for the bastard's heart again. A few minutes ago I glanced it, and now he's having trouble breathing. That's a lot of help.

"You'll never get out of this alive," the Tsuchikage yelled, slashing his earth pike at my forehead again. This time it took my hitai-ate along with it. I jumped back and got into another stance, breathing heavily. I may have injured him, but he has also returned the favor. My side was bleeding, soaking the white armor that I was garbed in. I shook my head and yelled, "Hakke Hyaku Nijuhachi Sho!" I hit him two times in the side, then twisted around and hit him four times in the shoulder, then eight times in his kidney. The process continued until I had hit 128 of his Chakra points, hitting him one last time in his heart.

The old man stumbled back threw his hands to his knees, coughing up a river of blood. But as soon as he was finished, he licked the blood from his chin and lips and laughed insanely. "Is that all the great Hyuuga clan has to offer?"

I blinked the grunted, "What the hell is wrong with this man?"

He must've heard me. "What's wrong with me?!... WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?! MWUHAHAHAHAAAAA!!" He launched into some complex hand signs and screamed, "EARTH STYLE: EARTHQUAKE!!"

I felt the ground quake and jumped up into the air, but a falling tree knocked me back down to the ground. The dirt below me was cracking, revealing the dark depths below. I jumped on some other falling trees to avoid a blast of sharp rocks, yelling "KAITEN!!" I spun upward, knocking debris out of my way and landing on another tree, running away from the wreckage now.

"COME BACK, LITTLE BOY!! I'M NOT DONE PLAYING WITH YOU YET!!"

"YOU SOUND LIKE THAT ALBINO PEDOPHILE, SHUT THE FUCK UP," I yelled back, breathing harder and more labored down; the tree that hit me broke some of my ribs. The cracking noises and the splintering of trees was following and I absently wondered how he could make a natural disaster follow my trail. I found a sturdy tree and jumped into the air again, scanning the skies for TenTen or the dragons. Then I spotted a white speck coming towards me.

"NEJI!!"

**"YANG!!"**

Yin and TenTen were streaking towards the battle, and I inwardly regretted it. They hadn't fused before coming, and Yin looked hurt. They'd only get injured.

"GO, FLY AWAY FROM HERE!!" I saw the Tsuchikage making another earth great-lance and feared for their lives. I saw here shake her head and get out her scroll.

"WATCH OUT, NEJI!" I veered to the right as fast as I could, ducking underneath a tree and running to one of the craters it made, covering my ears; earsplitting pings of metal on metal and the squelches of metal cutting flesh would soon ring through the forest.

My angel jumped off Yin and unfurled her scroll. Her crystal voice was heard above the splitting hell that was the earthquake beneath her. "SORYU TENSAKAI!!" The Tsuchikage held up his earth pike and blocked some of the weapons, but got impaled by a tiger blade in the shoulder and a few kunai in the leg. A chain had wrapped itself around his neck and another katana had gone through his stomach. The rest just hit random points on his body, most in his skull and his spine. She landed on a tree and dragged his body toward me.

I came out of my hiding place and smirked, even though it hurt a little. "Great job, TenTen-tenshi." She came up and hugged me, throwing the body to the side.

"Neji-ai...Gomen nasai. My actions were uncalled for and--"

I silenced her with my lips and tasted another's blood on them. I stopped and wiped them with my sleeve. "Are you hurt?"

"No, but you are." She careesed my face for a minute and wiped some blood from my cheek. "We should get to Yang so you can fuse with him and heal faster." I deactivated my Byakugan and held her.

"Don't worry about me, TenTen-tenshi..." I motioned to Yin, who came up behind TenTen and touched her nose to her forehead. They fused together, TenTen taking her black circle on her forehead and using Yin's shapeshifting abilities to make gigantic angel wings on her back, made from Yin's scales and padded on the inside by her white fur.

I would've done the same with Yang, but taking to opposite colors, and having the white mark hide my curse mark. Because when I was with TenTen's angelic form, I was a free bird.

"Neji, c'mon, let's go. Aishiteru too much for you to bleed to death on me," she complained, putting her hands under my armpits and gently lifting me. I heard a motion from behind her and stared in horror at what I saw.

"TENTEN!"

_Kenisha's POV_

Thank God TenTen can summon this big fuckin' dragon thing, or else I'd never have reached Lee in time.

"LEE-KOI!!" I jumped off of Yang and the dragon let out a long tongue of white flame at Orochimaru, who was fighting with a four-tailed Naruto. Hinata was yelling at him.

"NARUTO, YOU NEED TO GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!! NARUTO!!"

All she got was a deep growl in response, and one of his tails shot at her. Lee picked her up bridal style and got her out of the way, bringing her to me.

"Hinata-nee-chan, what the hell is wrong with you?! You need to get _out of the way _when he does that!"

She shook her head and sighed. "My Naru-koi is still in there. Minato's father is still in there... Uzumaki Naruto is still in that beast!" She got out of Lee's arms and ran after Naruto again.

Lee got up and ran after her, and I fused with the slightly limping Kami-kun. I winced as the fusion made me share his pain; his back right ankle was broken, which meant the ankle on my right leg was broken as well.

**_'You should use the shard to heal this before you go help... Koneko.'_**

_'Kami-kun...what did Orochimaru inject in you?' _My breathing was becoming labored, and my ankle throbbed more.

**_'I think he put the stuff that made you 'calm' into a shot and shoved it into my ankle. The needle broke it.'_**

I cursed and hurriedly ran as fast as our ankle would allow toward the battle. I saw Lee battling with Orochimaru and Hinata battling with Naruto.

I didn't know who to help. I was thinking that maybe Lee could handle him for a moment as I punch some sense into Naruto, but how long would he last? And even though Hinata has gotten stronger over the 7 years I've known her, she won't hurt Naruto for any reason.

A sentiment that we all share with our men. I shook my head, and went to Hinata first. I had a plan.

"HINATA-NEE-CHAN, DRAW HIS ATTACKS TOWARD OROCHIMARU!" She nodded slightly but didn't seem to fully understand. So I helped her by example. I threw a kunai at Naruto and after it glanced off him, he turned to me and sent his arm after me. I ran and went behind Orochimaru, my katanas out. I tried to stab the albino Sannin, but he swerved to the side and back slapped me.

The arm followed my path, so I twisted into the air and dive bombed Orochimaru, planning to land on him. He dodged that as well and bit me in my 5-pronged mark. The arm hit him, but he didn't move an inch. I heard Hinata faintly speak to him now that he was distracted.

Right between my boobs. Now, I dont' see why he didn't just put it on my neck or on my stomach or something, but who cares? THEY'RE MY FUCKING BOOBS, AND ONLY LEE CAN TOUCH THEM!!

"OK, WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR GOD DAMNED PROBLEM!? STOP RAPING MY BOOBS, YOU DICK-JOCKING PIECE OF SHIT!!" Lee ran up beside me and got out his nunchaku. He swiftly hit Orochimaru in the head, so hard it turned his neck around so he could stare at Hinata and Naruto directly behind him. His jaws let go of my chest, which was now bubbling like an acid was poured on it. I winced in pain and collapsed to the ground.

But then the snakey bastard turned his head back around and cracked his neck back into place.

"Now that was quite rude, Taijutsu boy. I only wanted to make sure the mark was still in place, nothing more."

"THAT MARK SHOULDN'T BE THERE IN THE FUCKING FIRST PLACE," I screamed in pain, unfusing with Kami-kun and getting carried in his fangs. He brought me closer to Hinata and Naruto, who had calmed down and was slowly reverting back to his foxy-grinning self.

"Gomen nasai, Hinata-hime..." I heard him breathe, and she put his head in her lap and began the healing process. I put my peridot to Kami-kun's forehead and began a healing process of my own. I winced a little bit as my mark burned a little more.

**"You shouldn't waste your time healing me; you should repair your skin before it gets infected by nasty pedophile germs."**

"No thanks, I'll be alright Kami-kun." I got up and limped slowly to the fight, charging my katanas with Chakra. Then, with a cry, I ran to Orochimaru and stabbed him in both of his thighs. He actually showed pain this time, by groaning and hissing. Lee smirked and tapped his nunchaku once; the tiny blades appeared. He turned them forwards and stabbed him in the chest, making blood spurt out of the holes as he pulled them out.

I breathed in relief as Orochimaru crumpled to the ground. "He won't be bothering us for another year or so; he has to get another new body."

Lee nodded and then lifted me into his arms, caressing me more than carrying me. I suddenly felt weak, whether from his touch or from my wounds, I couldn't tell. When we made our way to Naruto and Hinata, one word made us stop and look towards the east.

"TENTEN!!"

_**PART TWO!!**_

_x-Stay with me  
Don't let me go  
Cuz I can't be without you  
Just Stay With Me  
__And hold me close  
Because I've built my world around you  
And I don't wanna know what it's like without you  
So Stay With Me  
Just Stay With Me__-x_

_lyrics from Stay With Me, by Danity Kane_

_x- Stay with me  
Don't fall asleep too soon  
The Angels can wait for a moment  
Stay with me  
Don't fall asleep too soon  
The Angels can wait for a moment-x_

_lyrics from Stay With Me, by DJ Ironik_

_TenTen's POV_

I felt him turn us around and then heard a squelching noise, then felt something warm spray onto my shirt.

Neji's blood...

"Neji-ai, daijoubu desuka? NEJI!?" He coughed up more blood and looked down at me. His crimson life force landed on my cheeks.

"I-" He coughed up more blood. "I'll be fine TenTen... you... you need to get away..."

I shook my head forcefully and flew upwards, taking Neji with me. "NO!" I put him on my back and wrapped his cooling hands on my neck. Then I tapped into Yin's power and shot scales from my wings at the Tsuchikage. They cut into his face, chest, and stomach. The old bastard staggered and fell to is knees, coughing up blood. I turned back to Neji, who was also on his knees, his hands clenching over the stab wound that went from his lower back to the upper part of his chest.

He was wheezing, but got the breath to say, "T-TenTen-tenshi... gomen..." I couldn't let him, and instead picked him up and flew back to camp as fast as I could. When I finally reached there, which was in 2 minutes but felt like too long.

I was screaming by the time I got there. "SOMEBODY GET THEIR ASSES IN GEAR AND SAVE NEJI!! ONEGAI!!"

Hinata rushed over and a limping Naruto came behind her. Lee ran toward us away from the body of Orochimaru; they must've fought him while we were gone. But I couldn't focus on that right now. My eyes were only for Neji...

My dying, blood-covered, paler-than-normal Neji.

He coughed up more blood as Yang came over and touched his black snout to Neji's forehead. They fused, and Neji got black wings and a white mark on his forehead. The wound in his chest and back did not stop bleeding however.

"TenTen..." He motioned for me to come over with his eyes. I crawled over to him and placed his head on my lap. I had to blink a couple times; my eyes were watering.

"I'm going to fly..." His tone sounded crazy; like one's last moments. I wouldn't let him though.

"Neji, you can fly with Yang and I later; you've gotta get healed first," I laughed over my pain and fear. _'He's not gonna die... Hinata-nee-chan's gonna heal him, right?'_

He slowly got up and looked up at the sky; his look was of longing. Hinayta protested.

"Neji-nii-san! Get back down, you're not fully healed--!" Neji shook his head with difficulty and took off, Yang's wings working themselves to their limit. I took off after him, desperate to bring him back down to earth.

"HYUUGA NEJI--"

He suddenly stopped and gave me his famous 'Bastard Hyuuga smirk'. That was the onyl thing alive about him. His eyes... they looked departed. He glided down to me and held my face in his hands. "TenTen... Aishiteru. And also..." He whispered something in my ear and my eyes widened then teared up.

"N-Neji...Neji, no! You're gonna live, do you hear me?!" I tried to pull him back down, but Yang's strength is the same a Yin's, and combined with Neji it made him stronger; Neji didn't move from his hovering spot in the air.

"The one thing I wish..." He caressed my cheek again then kissed my lips. I kissed him back, and then I kissed him harder, pulling him closer to me, pulling him down. Neji responded by lifting me up until my chest met his, gently brushing bloody armor against bloody armor. His tongue explored my mouth, making a lasting memory of the blood on the inside where I bit my cheek to keep from crying. My tongue explored his; I tasted his blood and the pain that came with it. I felt my tears roll down my cheeks but I didn't stop. With Yin and Yang's large lungs inside of us, we could go for hours without stopping this. This bliss. This kiss...

He broke it and went to my ear, his breath tickling the skin of my neck near it. "The one thing I wish is that I won't die from this... so I can stay with you, Hyuuga TenTen."

My eyes made a fresh batch of new pain, and the liquid ran down my cheeks and onto my armor, making the blood on it turn a less opaque crimson. "D-Don't say things like that, Neji... Don't leave me, onegai..."

"I have to, TenTen... Aishiteru, my one love. Don't forget about me, my angel..." My heart broke into a million peices.

"Aishiteru, Neji-ai..." I broke down. "Please, don't leave me. I can't...I can't live without you Neji!!"

He shushed me and smoothed out my hair, which came out of it's buns from flying so fast. "Your hair looks so beautiful when it's down... I would've loved to see it in less dire situations beyond now...But that's not meant to be..." He faltered. "It's... not my fate..." He looked into my eyes and coughed up blood again, this time clutching his chest and groaning in pain.

**_'YANG IS GOING TO DIE!! UNFUSE THEM, HEAL THEM, DO SOMETHING!! DON'T LET MY YANG DIE!!' _**Yin cried in my head; she loved her Yang too. I didn't want mine to go, but, its like Neji said: It's my fate.

It seems to be my fate to lose everything I loved then. I watched as he looked into my eyes, and they sent a message.

_'I'm sorry, TenTen. I'm sorry for hurting you like this...'_

I replied back. _'I know. But I'll still see you when I look into the sky, right? You'll finally be a free bird, Neji!' _I tried to smile, but it came out as a frown with tear tracks sliding through it.

He shook his head and replied. _'I've been a free bird since I fell in love with you, TenTen. And for 10 years, I've been free. For 10 years, I've been with you. My other half. My love. My soul. My everything.' _He coughed blood again and smiled at me; the smile he reserved for me and me only: one of true love. _'I love you, TenTen, and I'm glad I made you mine. But now... When I die--'_

_'Don't say that!!' _I burst into tears again, the saltiness of them stinging my cuts and the warmth seeping from my body. _'DON'T DIE, NEJI!! I LOVE YOU, PLEASE, PLEASE DON'T DIE!! NO!! NO NO NO NO NOOOO!!'_

He chuckled and took off his hitai-ate, handing it to me. I took it and clenched in my hands. _'I'll see you in heaven, love. I'll be watching. I'll always love you, TenTen... Good... bye...' _

His eyes went blank and dark, and then his wings stopped working. He plummetted to the ground, too fast for me to catch him, and his wings broke on impact. I cried out and streaked toward him, Yin also trying not to believe that her Yang was dead as well.

"NEJIIII!!" I couldn't bear any other emotion but pain now. I crash landed beside him and cried ito hsi chest, not caring about the broken leg or wing that I had sustained. "NO NO NO NO NO NOOOOO! NOT NEJI!! NOT NEJI!!" I pounded the ground around him and tried to rip my heart out.

"NOOOOOOO!!" My head was aching and the hitai-ate in my hands was cutting into my palm. The others crowded around me and Hinata fell to my side and cried with me, cried over her dead brother.

I was crying over my soul. "NEJI, WAKE UP DAMMIT," I yelled at him, my tears falling in droplets on his perfect face.

"Neji's... no..." Then Lee cried too; his brother, his eternal rival, his comrade, his voice of reason; gone. "Neji!!"

"NOOOOOOOO!" I crumpled from my sitting position and made the ground wet with blood and pain. My heart would never heal, that much was for sure. The shards were piercing into my lungs, so I choked and hiccupped as I cried, letting everything out and yet trying to keep it in.

The others watched, crying as well, but no one else felt my pain. The Kimochi may have lost their family, their clan, but they never lost their love. They haven't lost their loves yet.

Yet I have.

I've lost everything.

_'Neji...NEJI!!'_

**I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST WROTE THAT!!**

**READ AND REVIEW, PLEASE!!**

* * *


	11. March of Mourners

**Chapter 11- March of Mourners**

_Every step I take, every move I make  
Every single day, every time I pray  
I'll be missing you  
Thinkin' of the day, when you went away  
What a life to take, what a bond to break  
I'll be missing you_

_x- lyrics from I'll Be Missing You, by Puff Daddy feat. Faith Evans-x_

_Naruto's POV_

One of my only friends is gone now.

Neji's gone.

I put a hand on my chest and clenched it, feeling the precious organ inside work in overdrive to keep me breathing; I was hyperventilating. I looked around me and saw the others crying too; Hinata-hime and Panda-chan were practically breaking their backs with the convulsing they were doing. We all just cried, letting all of our emotions out in the battlefield.

At least, that is what we would've been doing for a long time, if we weren't obligated to our village to go back.

To bring Neji back.

I got up from my crouched position first and put a hand on Neji's torso. Another bloodied, gloved hand dug its nails into my exposed flesh, drawing blood, and ripped my hand off him. I looked at the owner of the hand. TenTen was getting up on one knee and shook slightly, panting, her eyes glaring at me. They looked more empty and lonely than mine did when the villagers scorned me all those years ago.

"D… Don't touch him. I'll bring him back…. I owe him that much." She got up and wrapped one of her arms under Neji's neck and her other arm under his knees. It wasn't exactly bridal style: more like when Hinata carried Minato to bed. But Neji wasn't waking up.

TenTen brought him up into the sky with surprising ease and quickly disappeared in the sky. We all watched her go and Hinata slowly got up, using my arm for support. I slowly put a hand under her arm and pulled her into me, where she began to cry again. I held her, tears making their way down my face again, and then I was crying as hard as she was. Kenisha was holding Lee in a similar way, but they were on the ground, still sitting by the place where Neji plummeted, though not to his death; Neji was dead before he hit the ground.

I grabbed Hinata up, and wiped my eyes in her hair. I had to bring her home. "Kenisha-chan, we've gotta go. Can you take Bushy-Brows?"

She nodded wordlessly and went up to Kami-kun, who took Lee on his back and brought him to us. His eyes were glossed over, as if he himself had been crying as we had. **"I'll be going a bit faster than you. Don't take it personally; I'll wait for you if I get too far. See ya later, Koneko." **Then he ran away, his powerful legs leaving gouge marks in the dirt. I nodded to Kenisha, who ran up beside me and we started our hurried pace back home. It was a little faster than we would've gone normally, but we had to be careful all the same; mourners tended to make mistakes when going too fast.

After a few leagues, we were met by a thicker forest of trees, signifying our entrance into Konoha Forest. That was when she decided to talk to me.

"Hey Naruto…. What're we gonna do?" She gestured up ahead to where the remaining members of Team Gai were.

"I don't know…. It's gonna be a lot harder, that's for sure."

"Not just that: who's gonna break the news to Gai-sensei? He was like Neji's father; he was there for him when Hiashi pushed him away and when TenTen was on missions with the girls. How do we break it to his foster father that Neji's not coming back to him?" That stopped me for a minute. I wasn't really thinking of Bushier-Brows-sensei when I thought of Neji.

"I don't know that either, but hopefully he'll take it as well as Bushy-Brows did. I don't think that any of us can deal with any more of Panda's reaction." I put my head down and thought back to Panda and how she tried to claw her heart out of her armor. If she hurt that hard… there's no telling what she'd do when she reached the village, and worse, the rest of the Hyuuga clan.

_TenTen's POV_

I wasn't gonna bring Neji straight back to the Hokage's office; I'd bring him our old training grounds first. He'd want to be there; it's where we first made love, after all. Where we'd first confessed our true feelings. And we'd sweat and bled for years on that ancient soil, the trees still suffering from the cuts and gouges in their bark, the large craters where Neji performed his ultimate defense, the chains left in the rocks when I couldn't pull them out. The harsh training that had blossomed us into something more than just "comrades" or "training partners"

I laid him down against a tree and scrawled the date of his death into it. It was the same tree where we put "From Neji to TenTen: Aishiteru" and below it "From TenTen to Neji: Aishiteru more" in large cursive letters. I wiped some of my blood on top of the date and picked Neji back up, blinking away tears.

"See Neji? We're back home. We made it… See Neji?" His eyes showed no emotion, they had glossed over and darkened long before I got here. I hiccupped and closed them, unwilling to look into their dead pools any longer and took off again, flying straight into the Hokage's window, protecting myself and Neji with my wings.

She'd never seen me in my "angel" form before, so Tsunade got on the defensive and punched at my wings. The scales left miniscule cuts on her knuckles and would leave a bruise my right wing later. I slowly opened them, revealing myself and Neji's soulless body.

"Oh dear God…" Shizune whispered, putting her hand over her mouth and taking a step back. Tsunade shook her injured hand for a second before giving me an empathetic look, taking a step forward and leaning down to comfort me, her bosom brushing agaisnt Neji's armor to get to me.

"Oh TenTen--"

I shook my head and crumpled to the floor, holding Neji as close as possible. I whispered to her from Neji's neck, "We need to hold a funeral for… for…." My lip trembled and soon I was crying into Neji's ice-cold neck, my tears sliding down his neck, over his collarbone and into his clothes, making quick work of the not-so-dry blood that sprayed on his chest upon impact. I held onto him tighter and balled my fists around the hitai-ate again; _his _hitai-ate. They bled again, but I didn't notice. Yin was crying inside me too, sliding deeper and deeper into my subconscious. It was evident that we wouldn't be unfusing anytime soon. Tsunade held my shoulders and petted my hair, rubbing her hand down my head on onto my back. It didn't calm me down at all. She leaned forward and not-so discreetly ordered Shizune to alert the Hyuuga clan and to arrange a burial for Neji. But the one sentence I heard from her mouth was, "Alert the Hyuuga clan: they need to figure out what to do with Neji and TenTen."

There was no more "Neji and TenTen." The only time my name would ever be graced by his again was if they were talking about his widow. I'm just TenTen now. No Hyuuga is left in me. Just TenTen.

Broken, depressed, mourning, unwholesome, weapon mistress TenTen. A TenTen with angel's wings. A TenTen without a soul. _'There is no TenTen without Neji…,' _I realized. With that fresh in my mind, I cried even harder.

_Maybe I'm just a girl on a mission  
But I'm ready to fly_

_I'm alone, on my own, and that's all I know  
Oh, I'll be strong, I'll be wrong, oh but life goes on  
Oh, I'm alone, on my own, and that's all I know  
Oh, I'm just a girl, trying to find a place in this world_

_x- lyrics from A Place In This World, by Taylor Swift-x_

_Still TenTen's POV_

_2 days after Neji's death_

Tsunade had taken the body after an hour of crying and left me to cry in her office; she assumed alone time was the best thing for me.

She obviously doesn't know me very well. The only one who really knew is dead now. I have no one. I wasn't going to move from this spot for most of the day; I knew that much. Neji's... I can't even tell myself he's dead now. He was so much a part of my life, a part of _me_...

He was Neji. He was _my_ Neji.

I'd gone without things for the past two days, like training, eating, drinking, and sleep. I just stayed in dead wake. Just like I did when my parents died...

I crawled slowly to the window and pulled the blinds; it went dark immediately. That's what I needed: I needed a dark room to mourn and to think. _'At least I think I do...'_ I needed to crawl into a small corner and think while letting my liquid sorrow drip down my blood-stained cheeks.

"Neji... isn't with me now. He's... he's KIA. And now I have to grit through his death... and his family. His fucked-up, cult-like, insane family. All of them except Hinata-nee-chan, Kitsune-nii-san **(Naruto)** and Minato-kun. They're the only family I'll have." I shook my head at the thought; I'd always have family.

"Kenisha-nee-chan...She'd stay with me even if I'd died. I'm her favorite and only Nee-chan." **(Me: I don't count Emily or Katie or Hermione as Nee-chans in this part of the fanfiction because she has a closer bond with TenTen than anybody but the three forementioned. So there.) **I slowly dug into my pocket and got out a familiar kunai. The kunai he gave me; angel's wings carved into both sides with the kanji for love on the ring. I threw it at the window and it shattered, letting the sunlight fall on me and glint off my wings. The scales casted rainbows onto everything in the room, bathing it in warm light. I caressed one of them and felt something inside of me shudder.

_'Yes Yin?'_

**_'Don't touch me like that... please. That was how Yang used to... used to comfort me...' _**Obviously she wasn't done accepting the loss. But they've been in my family for thousands of years; their relationship ran deeper than any of ours did. She didn't just love him; she couldn't think of any way to be seperated from him; and her intellect surpassed most, even Nara Shikamaru's . They've only had each other for so long...

_'Gomen nasai, Yin...' _I held myself and almost felt something refreshingly cold touch my neck. I turned and only found the chair I was leaning next to brushing against me. _'That had felt so much like him... like Neji..'_

**_'Was he always that cold?'_**

I shook my head and almost cracked a grin. _'He was never really that cold to me, but after he's done meditating, his body heat drops. He used to try and take some of my heat away and it usually ended up in--' _I felt my chest rip itself out again as I thought of one of the things that he'd held most sacred: making love with me. We'd always try and make the most of what time we had since we didn't know what another day would bring... or in our case, take away. It turned into something beautiful. Making love with Neji was like... not only a physical expression of the love he had for me, but an expression of how much he really needed me and vice versa. And since the needs and wants and love was boundless... I felt the shards of my heart poke into my spine this time, and I slid onto the floor, belly first, and tried to rip the source of the pain out.

**_'TenTen... you shouldn't try and kill yourself over this...' _**My fingernails, which were always sharper than most shinobi's, were creating deep bleeding gashes in my chest, stopping around the edges of my breasts. I blocked her out, and tried to claw the pain out again. I should be alowwed to, but I had another life to think about; Yin's life. I couldn't kill myself without killing her.

_'If you hate this so much, then unfuse with me. Then we could suffer seperately... you suffering shouldn't have ever been mine. I shouldn't even be alive.' _I thought back to my long passed mother and father. They were the last people to have control over the dragons, and reliquished their control before they died. But these damn things always come back; some sort of Chinese pact of loyalty thing.

And now one's dead. So I have sole control over Yin until I die, and she won't go to anyone else: She can only go to a child sired by Yang. So the line ends with me. Unless I do what Neji said...

**_'If you do that, it'll disrupt the balance. There's no Yang to give if the child comes to be male--'_**

_'It's the only choice we have!! Besides, we'll be in far worse if I don't do anything... they don't have Neji to stop them from hurting me now...hurting us...' _I slowly got up and ripped my fingers from my chest; they left crimson marks in my shirt.

"No more of this. I'm not going to stop. I'm gonna do it." I looked at my blood and clenched my fist, my nails cutting into my palm. "I swear... on my love of Neji."

A loud banging was heard and someone burst in, pouring light into the room. I blinked rapidly before getting her into focus."TenTen-nee-chan..." Kenisha quickly gave me a hug and over her short shoulder, I saw Hinata walk in. Her eyes were almost as red and puffy as mine were. I let my arms fall to my sides and instead buried my head into her neck, wiping the tears that I had unconciously shed.

"Hinata-nee... Kenisha-nee... Why are you here," I whispered. I was afraid of what my voice would sound like if I raised it to full pitch. Kenisha stepped away and put her hands on my shoulders, but it was Hinata who spoke.

"Neji-nii-san's funeral is today... and you need to be present." Another wave of pain hit me again, but I held my ground, not shedding a single tear. But I would soon.

"The whole village is gonna be there... it's gonna look bad if you don't come. You were his wife, after all," Kenisha added, not looking into my eyes. She was instead staring in disbelief at the bloody marks on my chest. She was probably thinking that this was going to hurt me alot worse when the funeral was over.

And she was right.

I nodded and got out of her grasp, heading towards Hinata. She had something in a wrapped bag. I gestured toward it questioningly.

"It's clothes for you. Kenisha-nee-chan had sneak in to get the from your room."

"Why did she go?"

"Because Lee told her to." I thought about Lee; he must be as devastated as I am. And Gai-sensei...

"Where's Gai-sensei?"

"He's already there," Kenisha spoke in and undertone, as if it was information that shouldn't be overheard. They both turned around as I quickly changed into the funeral clothes, wincing as the cloth rubbed against unhealed injuries. I cut holes into the back to make room for my wings and turned around, a grimace on my face.

"This is too small...and it hurts."

Kenisha pulled another black outfit from her pouch and tossed it at me. "I wore this on one of two memorial days in that torture room in Orochimaru's base."

"Why only two?"

"Because those days were the anniversaries of the Kimochi Massacre," she said softly, turning to leave. When she exited and turned to the left, I saw a flicker of crystal sorrow float in the air behind her.

Hinata was still turned and when she heard I was finished, she walked up to me and put her hands on my chest. They glowed green. I felt the pain go away; the physical pain, at least. "You need to stop hurting yourself, TenTen-nee-chan... She hugged me and shuddered, so more tears escaping her. "I don't want you to die too..."

I managed a not-so-full smile and hugged her back. "I won't Hinata-nee-chan... I'm not leaving you as well." She held tighter and began to cry again.

I held her closer and slowly led her out of the room, back into the hallway, which was abandoned. I looked beside me and saw a note on the door to the Hokage's office, saying "Do Not Disturb, Lest You Want To Taste the Steel Of A Mourner- Gondaime Hokage". I grinned at it and thought _'Thank you, Tsunade-sama...'_

_At the funeral_

The Hyuuga clan was still filing in, taking their respective places around the open casket. I was in the front center of the screwed-up semi-circle, next to Hinata-nee-chan, Kitsune-nii-san, and Minato-kun. Kenisha and the others were on the far left, and Lee was on the far right.

Tsunade finally spoke when everyone had arrived. The villagers who couldn't make it would be assisted by a jutsu that would allow them to see the procession. Thank Kami-sama for ANBU.

Tsunade was in front of the casket, her arms opened wide to the sky. It was getting gray and a distant thunder clapped, signaling the storm rolling in. "People od Konohagakure! We have suffered a great loss this day. The loss of a courageous, genius, strong, and skilled shinobi. The loss of an ally, friend, family member..." She gave me a quick side glance before saying, "and husband."

"How did he die, you ask? He died the most noble death imaginable: death to save the one you love." She took a look down at the body before her, as if seeking guidance for what to say next. "He died... but now he is finally free; he is cursed no more. He can now use his wings and fly where he pleases, like a free bird should." She choked up because others were; Neji's plight as a Branch member was well known, and the villagers sympathized. Tsunade's gaze was on Hiashi and the Hyuuga elders now, who were looking past her, at the waving trees in the distance. They didn't care less that everyone was there to mourn the loss of their most famous clan member. They didn't care that any of us loved him; that I still love him.

And they never will. "Hyuuga Neji's spirit will still be here, inside all of us. Just as the Third's and Asuma's is still with us. We shall never forget what we've lost." She looked down again then came back up with a slight grimace. "I didn't know Neji personally, to tell you the truth. But from what I did know of him, I learned that Neji was a man of his nindo and was a little cocky at times. And he could be a bastard; always seemed to "have an icicle up his ass", according to a friend of mine. But his most outstanding quality, I'd have to say, is love."

She looked right at me this time and gestured to my group: myself, Hinata, Naruto, and Minato. Then she pointed back to the others; everyone of the ninjas that he'd come in contact with. "He cared about these people the most. His comrades in arms, his best friends, his family. They will be hurt the most, and my empathy goes out to them; to everyone who has lost someone dear today, or ever. Such is the life of a shinobi and kunoichi; sacrifices must be made and people lose their lives and loves. But life must go on! Remember your loved ones not in death, but in life. Cherish those memories and keep them close to you, lest you want the pain of loss to take you...and change you." Tears were streaming down her face.

"She's thinking about Dan...," I heard Hinata whisper to Minato when he asked why she was crying.

Tsunade spoke again, but her voice was thick. "Don't take my road and run away from your pain. Accept your pain, and when you feel it letting up, rush into the light it provides. You'll find a better place there..."

My tears mirrored hers as she stepped away and let the people present appraoch the casket and say some words about Neji. I watched as people came and went, saying words like "He will be missed" or "Our hearts reach out to his family". They didn't know anything.

Hinata could barely make a coherent sentence when she approached the table in front of Neji's open casket. "Neji-nii-san..._ -sniff-_ was a brother to me; one of my only friends when I was alone in the household. _-sob-_ He protected me from the people that brought me down and managed to crack a smile at my innocence when I talked to him about my problems. _-cry out-_ I'll never have that again! My brother's gone... but I'll remember him... It may hurt; but I will live through it. I'll do it for Neji-nii-san..." Naruto lead her away, his face wet as well. Lee was next.

"Neji was also a brother to me; my rival, my ally. He was my comrade and I'm going to... _-choked sob-_ I'm going to hurt worse than the strain of the Hidden Lotus over this. I've lost my finest friend... the one who would chuckle at my shenanigans and regarded me as an annoying sibling. The one who helped me get to where I am today through his competitive nature and strong will._ -sniff-_ Neji may be gone, but his fire still lives. He was the true flame of Konoha." He got down and tripped, falling to his knees and sobbing. Kenisha lifted him by his shoulders and held him like a child.

"Lee-koi... let's go..." She disappeared, but her voice whispered in the wind. "Neji was my annoying older brother: cold, loved saying "Hn" and never stopped laughing when I tripped over stuff. Over the years I knew him, he became a great friend, and I accepted him in my fucked up family. I only hope that someday... someday he'll come back and kiss TenTen-nee-chan again." She didn't cry like the rest of us. But we all knew she would later.

After the voice was gone, I walked toward the casket and laid down my red and white roses. Then I flexed my wings and turned around. "Neji... He was more than my lover; more than my husband. He was literally my other half." I flexed my wings to prove my point. Some of the crowd actually noticed that Neji had the same kind of wings.

"I know that most couples say that; they live in fairytales of bliss and flowers because they don't live like... like we did. When you choose somebody in this kind of life.. its permanent, and the holes in your heart won't heal. I know this from losing people I've loved before..." I put my head down and held myself. "But Neji... he was my everything. Ever since the day we confessed, the rest was the best 10 years of our life. But deep down, I know it could've been more. It was my fault he died; I know that you all are expecting me to deny it. But it was--" I choked out a sob and clutched my chest. "It was... I couldn't do anything to stop him though; his mind was set since I married him. He protects me, I protect him. He loves me more than his life, I love him more than mine. He dies... and I contemplate ripping my heart out of my chest, just to get the pain out... But it stays... it stays."

I took a quick sweep of the crowd and saw Tsunade and Kurenai nodding, their tears matching mine. "Neji could be an ass: hell, he nearly killed me everyday. But I didn't complain, not even when my body screamed to stop or when my fingertips split open from overuse of scrolls. It was necessary... because it was Neji. He could be the most annoying man in the world: he used his famous "one-syllable sentence" when he decided the time came to be childish. But I understood every unsaid word, and always made him feel better." I had a quick flashback of not two weeks ago when we had such a fight. My heart yearned for another of those.

"And he could be the biggest teaser in the damn world: all those late nights when he turned over and kissed my neck, ran his cool fingers down me spine... but he always made me smack him before he'd do what he set out to do. And after it was over, I'd always apologize... because he was Neji." I almost giggled a little bit, but it came out as a strained hiccup. "My Neji... He could also be the world's best shinobi: never backing down, using his skills to their full potential, yet never satisfied with just a victory. He made sure that the mission was completed and that the perps were either dead or waiting for trial. He was the best man in the world, to me at least: Never sparing expense, even when I begged; he always treated me with the respect I deserved, whether I thought I did or not..." I shuddered and laughed a little, despite the pain.

"What am I saying? Neji's dead; no words can do his life justice. Especially not mine. But one thing I can do that can..." I kneeled down and bit my thumbs, dragging them across my wings, flicking the remaining blood across my forehead, spelling the words "My Sacrifice" in kanji.

Tsunade was speed walking towards me, yelling, "You can't perform any jutsu in this state--"

I ignored her. I kneeled down to my lowest and closed my eyes, drawing all my Chakra to one point: my soul. I bowed my head as if I was praying, and said to Yin, _'Let's go..'_

**_'You got it...'_**

Then we both used my voice and screamed, **_"FOR YANG!! JOSHORYU!!" _**A celestial light surrounded me, and I felt a vaguely familiar power flow through me. I lifted my arms to the sky and formed a single handsign: Dragon. The thunder clapped and the sky began to cry. The rain did not ruin my parade, but just made it look more dramatic.

This was as dramatic as dramatic can get.

I splayed my wings and jumped into the air, twisting as if I was spiraling in the double helix of my scrolls instead of the empty air. The blood on my forehead and wings glowed bright as I expelled my Chakra from my body, letting Yin free.

But I kept the wings. Yin twisted herself around my body and raised her neck above my head. Then she opened her maw and the black flames engulfed me. **_"BACHI!!"_ (curse) **Then the same marks that were on my body appeared on Neji's; the blood on his forehead covered his curse mark and his wings glowed as mine did. And the faintest hint of Chakra emmited from him, from me, of course. The water around him casted white rainbows around his coffin.

Yin turned an off white and her features where blurred; almost ghost-like. Then she fluttered down back to Yang; his ghostly form was floating above Neji. They intertwined and touched noses; their last reunion.

**_"Yang..."_**

**_"Yin... Forgive me... It would not be this way if it weren't for me--"_**

**_"Do not say such things! It is my fault; TenTen and I's. We did not protect ourselves as well as we should've, costing you your life... You wouldn't be dead were it not for me!!"_**

Yang breathed a plume of fire on her head; it looked smoke-like in the mist-like water. It seemed to comfort her. Then he rubbed his head against her scales; she shuddered and did the same back to him. **_"I will always live... I live in the fire you breathe, in the beat of your heart. I am not dead, Yin. I am just unable to experience this everlasting life with you..." _**His voice trailed off as the glow around Neji and I began to fade.

**_"No! YANG, DON'T GO--"_**

**_"Shhh... It's alright Yin... I'll always be with you.. Aishiteru..." _**His voice changed slightly, and it took me a minute to realize that it was Neji's voice; he was using this opprotunity to talk to me.**_ "Do not forget me, love... You know I died because I loved you, TenTen."_**

I got back in control and tried to bring Neji back again; at his funeral, no less. **_"Neji!! Neji, please... Don't say things like that! It's all my fault; I should've died, not you--"_**

**_"Never say that. I would break worse than you did... I love you more than you may ever know TenTen; no matter what any others, even those Elder bastards might say." _**In his voice, I knew he yearned to caress my face, as I yearned to look into his eyes and hold him close to me one last time. **_"I may be dead, but my spirit will live on in you... and what I am about to give you." _**His voice lowered and I felt him breathe more labored now. It was his final moments all over again.

Yang flew past Yin and she followed obediantly; trying to keep him to herself. He touched his nose to my forehead, and I suddenly felt incredibly weak, and a whole new presence enter my body. _'What is this?...'_

When I looked below, I saw Neji standing next to his coffin smirking with his eyes closed. I blinked one and he was gone.

**_"Goodbye, TenTen... my only love.. May your life and the life I gave you be blessed as mine was when I first kissed you. Aishiteru.."_**

My tears came down again as his voice faded away. I couldn't keep my wings moving anymore and spiraled down the ground, falling next to Neji. Yang disappeared and Yin flew away, into the sky. My eyes followed her until she left my view. My arms subconciously reached out, and in the light through the clouds that had formed above the service, and it poured even harder. I could see Neji's perfect face above me and I smiled.

"Neji... I did it..." I held onto my stomach and felt a warm presence come alive in me again. "I did what you asked..."

* * *

_Good job, TenTen... I wish I was there with you, _Neji said from Heaven, his black wings frightening the other angels. Hermione and Itachi glided toward him and smiled.

_She loves you, Neji, _Hermione said, smiling warmly at him.

_She really does _Itachi said from behind them, looking down at the scene rather than the two. _A little too much, if you ask me... She might consider joining you here.._

_Not after what I gave her, _Neji said, shaking his head and chuckling. _She would never die knowing that something of me should live whilst she does. That's how she is, and I know her best._

_If you say so, lover boy _Hermione joked, gliding away and taking Itachi with her. Neji stayed where he was and a tear slid down his cheek.

_Gomen nasai... TenTen..._**I FEEL SO PROUD OF MYSELF, CUZ I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO KNOWS HOW THIS IS GONNA TURN OUT!!**

**The plot is gonna get even more dramtic than ritual justus, I'll tell ya that, folks!**

**REVIEW AND ASK ABOUT MY NEXT CHAPTER, i'VE ALREADY GOT HALF OF IT TYPED UP IN WORD!!**


	12. Condemned

**Me: Oh my God…**

**Everyone else but TenTen: Holy shit…**

**TenTen: -sighs- Just leave me alone…**

"_lyrics" _**indicates lyrics I **_**tried to**_** change to fit the fanfiction (I'm not all that good at writing lyrics as is… changin' em was hard). I don't own any of the songs I put in this chapter or any others.**

**Chapter 12- Condemned**

_She put her __hair__ down  
Trying to hide the tears  
Oh she just couldn't believe it  
She heard __whispers__ from the __doctors round her bed__  
And the flowers fell out of her hand_

Baby why'd you leave me  
Why'd you have to go?  
I was counting on forever, now I'll never know  
I can't even breathe  
It's like I'm looking from a distance  
Standing in the background  
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now  
This can't be happening to me  
This is just a dream

_x- slightly changed lyrics from the Just A Dream by Carrie Underwood-x_

_Tsunade's POV_

It's been a couple weeks since TenTen used her jutsu at Neji's funeral, and she's still in the hospital. I sighed slowly, scanning the hallway in front of her room for a moment.

Her little kunoichi friends and some of their men were there and Lee and Gai were standing on the wall, no expressions on their faces. No one else was there; they were either mourning or unable to visit. My hearts go out to them; they have more to mourn over, for not being here. I nodded my head to each of them and only Gai nodded slightly back. "Stay out here and come in when I tell you, got it?"

I got mumbles and grunts in response. I nodded again and stepped inside her room and closed the door behind me, looking to Shizune, who shook her head.

"She still hasn't awoken, Tsunade-sama. However, after the MRI, I found that she has a small case of amnesia, probably occurring from when she fell from Chakra exhaustion and hit her head on the concrete. We won't know about what she forgot or if she'll be able to remember until she wakes up." I sighed again and looked at the one thing that she had to her heart when she had been rushed in here: Neji's hitai-ate. It now lay on her bedside table next to some flowers sent in by her friends; the old blood still splashed across the Konoha. I reached over the younger girl's sleeping body and took the hitai-ate in my hands; it would be of use later.

I looked at her monitors for a quick moment before ordering, "Shizune, get Ino in here immediately."

"Hai," she said and I heard the door open and close and the blonde walk in.

"You need me, Tsunade-sama?" I looked at her and gestured to TenTen.

"I need you to take a quick look in TenTen's mind; Shizune thinks that she has amnesia, and instead of waiting until she wakes up, we need to find out what it is now. If she's forgotten her ninja techniques… well, you know what will happen, I take it?"

I'd have to take her out of my ranks and leave her with nothing but the painful memory of what could have been. We would be better off just killing her if it came to that.

She nodded seriously and walked closer to TenTen's head, placing her first two fingertips on the older girl's temples. After taking a breath, she made her hands into the necessary hand sign, pointing them at TenTen's torso.

"Could you get Sai-koishi in here, please?" I gestured to Shizune and Sai was brought in.

"You need something, Ino-ai?"

She nodded and said, "Catch me." Then she forced her soul into TenTen, leaving her body to fall in Sai's waiting hands. While Ino was in TenTen's comatose body, Sai took the opportunity to ask a question.

"Why does she have to explore the Weapon Mistress's thoughts?"

"To see what she forgets; we believe she has some sort of amnesia from the fall due to an MRI scan. Now all we need to do is wait," I explained, and the Sasuke-look alike nodded.

TenTen/Ino gasped occasionally but nothing more than slightly twitching her fingertips; probably a reaction of TenTen's. After a couple tedious minutes of listening to the slow beeping of the small girl's heart monitor, TenTen/Ino was gasping and clutching her head; her fingernails broke the skin in her scalp. Her closed eyes screwed shut, and she laid there screaming in pain.

Then it seemed as if TenTen was using her own voice, shouting her dead lover's name. "NEJI!" Her eyes shot open and she sat up, only to go right back down on her side and cry in pain again, going limp on her pillow.

Then as tears ran down her cheeks and blood trickled down her brow, Ino escaped TenTen's body and massaged her scalp. Sai wiped her tears and blood away and asked, "What happened in there?"

Ino took a calming breath and slowly explained, "She had originally forgotten about Neji's death, Tsunade-sama. However, when I tried to find the right wall to break down, she felt me in there and her dragon, Yin or whatever, attacked me. She had said not to enter TenTen's thoughts without permission, but then TenTen stopped her. She had said that I could come inside, but only if I could tell her what she forgot. So I had to fight through a dark wall… and then… I saw it."

"What did you see," I asked, looking from her to TenTen, who still had tears streaming down her face.

"I witnessed Neji's death…" Ino shook her head and wiped away more tears. "She was right; she was right next to him when he died… when his wings stopped working. When her heart broke into irreparable pieces." Ino shuddered at the memory. "But as soon as I left, I felt the wall come back up. Then Yin yelled at me, saying that she wouldn't let TenTen remember. It would hurt them both. Then Yin pushed me out of her mind."

"So it's Yin's fault? Hn should've known," I said, putting my arm under my bosom and my right hand to my lips, thinking. "She's hurt as well, because Neji was fused with her mate, Yang. And he died as well; from Neji's injuries…" I gave Ino an apologetic look.

"I'm going to have to ask you to go back in there and get Yin to put the wall down. It's only when the wall goes down that TenTen wakes up." Ino nodded and Sai gave her a kiss on her forehead.

"If that thing hurts her again, I'm gonna have to punch TenTen when she wakes up… well, preferably after this ordeal is over," Sai said in Ino's ear as she put her hands to TenTen's chest again. Then he caught her again.

More gasps were heard and TenTen/Ino's hand actually moved to touch her lips and reach out to something that must have only been able to be seen in her mind. Then the hand went back down, and Ino's body's eyebrows furrowed as TenTen's facial expression turned from anguish to rage. Then after a long sigh that sustained the lung capacity of the human lung, TenTen/Ino's expression softened to sad acceptance and Ino took a deep breath, returning to her body.

It took her less time to recover. "Yin's gonna let TenTen remember, but get ready… cuz she's gonna wake up now. It's gonna take a minute for the information to process after she wakes up, so…"

I nodded and sure enough, TenTen stirred, holding her scalp and blinking rapidly. "Wh …Why am I in the hospital? Where's Neji-ai?"

She scanned the room once and looked directly at me, a serious and scared expression in her eyes. "Where are the others?"

"They're outside. Shizune, you can let them in now." I heard the door open behind me and nearly a dozen bodies file in behind Shizune. Gai and Lee walked to TenTen, Hinata close behind them. Gai put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it.

"TenTen… Neji's--"

"He's not hurt, is he? Dammit, I knew I should've kept him down. But Hinata," she noticed the younger Hyuuga behind the Green Beasts, "you did heal him, right? He's gonna be OK, right?" Her eyes went right into Lee's dark ones and in that instant, she shuddered and almost dreamily turned away from all of us and looked at the blank wall in front of her, her bloodstained fingernails shaking as they rose to clutch her heart. Her usually strong and determined eyes had glossed over and their light died. Lee looked away and sat down, his head in his hands. His broken spirit said it all.

"It's true, TenTen-chan…"

"You… you're lying to me, Lee. You've gotta be lying to me; this can't be happen--" Gai leaned over and hugged her.

"TenTen... TenTen don't cry--" But it did nothing to stop her next question.

"Neji-ai… he… he's gone, isn't he? He's not in the hospital or back home… he's," she sent out a choked sob and continued, "Neji-ai's dead?"

I said nothing but gave her the hitai-ate. Gai withdrew and let her take it. Her calloused fingers stroked the blood on it and grazed over the Konoha, and then she took it in both hands and held it to her heart. "Neji… Not my Neji…Not my Neji…" Her hands tightened on it and bowed her head down, her hair obscuring her face. We all heard the deep, shuddering breath she took.

Then all hell broke loose.

Her heart monitor beeped erratically as she cried out and her breathing became irregular. Her unbound hair flew everywhere as she shook her head wildly in disbelief as she looked from Lee, Hinata, Gai and the rest to Neji's hitai-ate. She drew her knees to her chest and screamed bloody murder. Then finally, the hot tears ran down her face and she whimpered pitifully, her fingernails biting into her honey kissed legs this time. Hinata reached over but the widowed kunoichi batted her hand away. Then they went to her heart and I heard the piercing of the healing flesh as she tried to tear her pain out again and her blood spattered on the white sheets.

Then it just stopped. Without warning, her crying stopped, her eyes closed, and her heart monitor beeped back to a slower but regular pulse and dropped steadily with each beat. She fell backwards on her bed and landed in a heap at her pillow. Kenisha broke through everyone else and shook her sister-like best friend's shoulders.

"TenTen-nee-chan, wake up!" The beeping became slower, and TenTen's breath hitched and she whimpered.

"Wake up!" She shook her again, and this time the older kunoichi made no sound.

"Kimochi, get away from her," I ordered, and to my surprise, she let go and fell into Lee's arms, crying.

"She's going to Neji… Dammit, Lee-koi, she's going to Neji!"

"No she's not," Ino said, shoving her hands to into hand signs and aimed and once again, it got quiet, save for the whimpering TenTen was doing and the now steady beeping heart monitor. Sai held onto Ino and the rest of us waited with baited breath as TenTen's fingers twitched and grasped the sheets and tears continued to fall. Then TenTen laid still and Ino sighed.

"She was just going into shock… I had to punch them awake, but yeah… they're gonna stop killing each other now…"

I nodded and gently pressed my hands to her head and healed her wounds. Without looking back at her, I asked Ino, "Killing each other?"

Ino sighed once again and rubbed her arms as if she was cold, though it was a healthy 86 degrees outside. "They were in so much pain… and Yin blamed TenTen. So she attacked her, and TenTen fought back. She used everything her mind had, and then without warning, she stopped fighting. Yin took the opportunity to try to unfuse, but I hit her square in the forehead, where that weird mark is, and she fell unconscious. No idea why, though. Then I lent TenTen some of my Chakra… she's gonna be OK, right Tsunade-sama?"

I pondered her question for a moment before replying, "She's going to have to stay in here until she's ready to face everything again--"

"That's what you said when she had to mourn over Neji-nii-san _by herself in your office! _Look at what happened to her. I don't trust your decisions about her anymore, not now. I'm taking her with me," Hinata stated, her Byakugan activated at the strain of her anger.

Almost everyone but Kenisha and Lee took a step back. "Yeah Baa-chan; you yourself should know that alone time after something that traumatic can only lead to horrific repercussions: The Kimochi, you, Kurenai-sensei and TenTen-nee-chan are living examples of that. We don't want her to end up like us, do we," Kenisha asked, her expression getting more and more cold, her glare piercing me. I almost blinked under the pressure and felt a nervous sweat break out against my will. Why do these kids always make me feel inferior to them?

"Give. TenTen. To. Me. _Now,_" Hinata said, punctuating her words by inching closer to me with intent.

Shizune stepped in front of me, her arm crossed in front of her chest, and matched Kenisha's glare. "If you're planning on hurting her, you're going to have to go through me. You can do what you want, but you need proper paperwork to get TenTen out of here. This has to be signed by Tsunade-sama, of course." She smirked and relaxed a little. "She's not going to sign them, however. And if you take TenTen illegally, I'll have you put into lawful incarceration for trying to abduct a patient."

"Oh yeah?" Her shoulders by Lee, who gave Shizune a pained and mournful look, as if TenTen were also dead, held Kenisha back.

"Try me." Kenisha gave one last pull from Lee, who wasn't letting go, and gave up. She gave Hinata a look of defeat and the now Head of the Hyuuga Clan gave Shizune and myself one last glare, furious tears running from her pupil-less eyes. Then she said one phrase that made my heart break; that I never thought the young woman was capable of saying to me.

"I hate you." Then she stormed out of the room, not looking back once. Kenisha motioned for Emily and Katie to go after her, and the twins left with their husbands after the distraught Hyuuga. Then she returned her gaze to me.

"You see that? All she wanted was to get her sister out of here. She wanted TenTen-nee-chan to leave this God damned hospital because we all know that TenTen hates it here. And she'll hate it even more because Neji isn't gonna visit her. She'll hate it cuz she'll be alone, cuz I know sure as hell that you won't let us visit after this little incident, are you?" She leaned on Lee, who hadn't said a word since talking to TenTen. He must be taking this as hard as Hinata. I now knew that Kenisha was taking it worse: because she was talking.

"And I know, that deep down, you wish that none of this ever happened, that the mission had no casualties and you could be alone to drink your sake and talk with Shizune and all that… but sadly, I couldn't let that happen, could I? My damned emotions got in the way… I basically killed Neji and TenTen-nee-chan."

I almost opened my mouth to speak, but Shizune cut me off. "It's because you knew that Orochimaru and the Tsuchikage--"

"His god damned name is Ryoku; we're not gonna give him that formal title anymore. And yes, it's because I knew they'd come after us. So we ran, and they caught up. So when the little squabble was over, we split up into three groups. TenTen and Yin went after the assassins, Neji fought with the Tsuchikage and the rest of us fought Orochimaru. I left the Oro-fight to help TenTen, when I should've known that Neji would need more help. Ryoku stole information from me that was vital to Neji's life, and I was too thickheaded to remember. His blind spot, his weaknesses… his lifelines. Ryoku may have been the one to land the final blow, and TenTen may have been the one to try to save him, but I was the one that killed him. I killed Neji…"

She held her hands out and shook them a bit. "With that little explanation of the mission, I should be in chains right now. On the other hand, dead, that'd be way better. What the hell is your problem?"

I didn't understand a word, but Shizune always does. "You want to repay TenTen by having yourself killed?"

"Not just her; everyone. I was used, and now I'm nothing but an egg chamber to them. All they have to do is harvest me and I'm through, I'm useless; nothing special. It sucks, and I admit, I hate myself for everything that happened in the past and now. So do your job, take me out. Make me walk the plank. Finish what Orochimaru and Ryoku started. Go ahead, I won't stop you; I already feel too much to care."

"Maybe you won't stop them, but I will." Lee held onto Kenisha and buried his head into her neck. "I've already lost my brother, and my sister isn't my sister anymore… My father is a broken man… Don't make me lose you too, koi."

I saw Kenisha visibly relax and give Lee a heartbreaking look. "Lee-koishi…" She leaned into him and held onto his shoulder with her other arm; an awkward gesture, but it seemed to comfort him. "Do you really wanna die like Neji did? That's all you're gonna get if you stay with me. I'm just gonna die sometime soon anyway, you know that." She let go and looked straight at me and Shizune. "And you know it too, Baa-chan, Shizune."

Lee looked from me to Shizune and got out of Kenisha's neck to look at her. Then he shook his head and ran out of the room. Kenisha sighed and didn't turn around. "He'd have to find out somehow… Ino-chan, if it isn't too much trouble, could ya make sure he doesn't hurt himself?" Ino said nothing but got out of Sai's arms and went after Lee.

I blinked curiously at her. "Why'd you just do that?"

"To get him away. This was my fault in the first place and I don't want him having a lead on where I'm going."

I sighed. "So you're leaving again?" The young kunoichi nodded a fierce look of determination in her eyes.

"I want to end this. I don't want to hurt any of my special people any more…" She cast a sympathetic look at TenTen, who was curled up pitifully on her tear-stained bed, holding Neji's hitai-ate closer to her than ever. She wasn't asleep, so Kenisha turned away sadly, knowing what she'd just done.

"Too late for that, I'm afraid… By the way, I want you to do something for me."

"Yeah?"

"When you come back," her eyes looked questioningly at me at "when", "I want you to repair everything you've done. The words of an already broken Hokage can't do anything to help my Shinobi and Kunoichi anymore. You're going to have to do it."

"Why me? I thought Naruto would--"

"I'm not giving you my position, baka. I'm going give you something to do before you die. Letting you leave an impression on the world."

She gave me a look, her eyes watering despite her joyful smile. "Arigatou, Tsunade-sama." Then her eyes went blank, and when regained focus she looked at Shizune. "If you could just... Well, I know that there are other people in the hospital, and that you have a responsibility to all of them, but… Take care of my Nee-chan. Just don't let her get like I did."

"And what of your cousins?"

"Keep this quiet. I don't want them killing themselves over this. Sides," Kenisha gave us a wise look that defied her young age and must have come from all the hardship she'd endured, "I'll be watching them in Heaven or wherever the hell I end up. And maybe, just maybe... I'll see Neji and Okaa-san. Everybody. At least I won't be alone."

Kami-kun ran up and somehow went through the door like a ghost. **"You ready to go?"**

Kenisha nodded and made the necessary hand signs. "Art of the Kimochi: Familiar Fusion!" Then she became the Kurosendo Koneko. Only to have her eyes go black and fall to the ground. In a flash of light, the two were unfused and Kenisha got up; her features were still animalistic.

"What did you do?"

"I made him sleep. I have his night vision, his claws and fangs, and his ears and tail. So he'll be helpless until I come back. This way, he can't follow me." She gave him a miserable look. "It's for the best, buddy."

She gave us one last look before jumping in the air and disappearing, her dark form jumping from roof to roof at impressive speeds, getting away from the people she'd hurt. Again.

'_You'd better finish the job, Kenisha… We're all counting on you.'_

_I am the patron saint of lost causes_

_A fraction of who I once believed (change)_

_only a matter of time_

_Opinions I would try and rewrite_

_If life had background music playing your song_

_I've got to be honest, I tried to escape you _

_But the orchestra plays on, and they sang_

_Oh oh, things are gonna change now for the better_

_Oh oh, things are gonna change_

_Hands like secrets are the hardest thing to keep from you,  
lines and phrases like knives your words can cut me through  
dismantle me down (repair)  
you dismantle me, you dismantle me_

_Hands like secrets are the hardest thing to keep from you,  
lines and phrases like knives your words can cut me through  
dismantle me down (repair)  
you dismantle me, you dismantle me_

_x- lyrics from Dismantle Repair, by Anberlin-x_

_Kenisha's POV_

I don't really care that I was leaving everyone behind again, but I knew I would regret it later.

I always do.

'_It's OK, girl,' _I reassured myself, _Kami-kun and the others are safe, and no ones gonna get hurt. I just have to find them… and destroy them.' _But the sun is slowly setting now, and even with Kami-kun's night vision, I'd have trouble finding that pedophile bastard in the dark like this. I was suddenly regretting ever leaving, cuz now I knew I couldn't win.

'_God dammit, if only I'd stayed there… I could be in his arms…' _The lone tear sliding down my cheek was taking a path well known. As I jumped through the trees, I scanned the ground for the bastard. He always seemed to pop up when I least expected his ass to show…

I heard something, took a sharp jump off a tree to the left, and doubled back on my path, getting out my katanas in the same motion. "Who's there," I called, flexing my fingers.

No one answered, so I put my katanas back, but kept my eyes open, and twitched my ears. I headed back in the same direction I was going and after a few minutes, sighed.

"I'm overreacting again… It isn't like he'd come after me so close to the village--"

"Oh, you're so sure?"

I.

Almost.

Pissed.

Myself.

The albino bastard was leaning on the tree trunk beside me, my hand unconsciously lain on his chest. I immediately recoiled and turned to face him.

"What the hell do you want?"

"I could ask you the same question, dear girl." He gave me a sadistic smile as he licked his lips and I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Then your answer is this!" I twisted my katanas on my thumbs until they pointed at him and pushed forward. He wasn't there, and my katanas were stabbed into the bark. I swiftly pulled them out and scanned the air, then the ground, then around me. Then I heard his laugh and front flipped out of the way of his fangs.

"What's wrong? You're so jumpy all of a sudden. Am I," he licked his lips and gave me a perverted grin, "scaring you?"

"Far from it!" I focused my Chakra into my right leg and sent a powerful shin-kick into his face. His head ran into another tree, causing dust and bits of bark to fly from impact. I landed on another branch and tried to see through the cloud of debris.

Then I heard his chuckle. "My, my, my: You've advanced more than I imagined! To cause my flawless face such damage…" He turned to me and extended his neck to expose his face to me. I'd torn off some of his skin on the left side and the side of his nose was rubbed raw. There was a big bruise near his eye also. On the right side, which had hit the tree, was nothing but raw tissue. The bark had rubbed his skin off.

I smiled at my work. "Great, cuz I was getting tired of looking at it. Made me gag. This look is much nicer on you, O holy Prince of Faggots and Anal Masturbation."

That made his uninjured eye twitch. Now I couldn't believe this next part: THE ALBINO BASTARD WAS LAUGHING AT ME!

"Oh, how it feels so… wonderful to feel pain again! You make me feel young, dear Kimochi Kenisha…" He straightened and his body slithered back to him, like a snake that was charmed back into its woven basket. "Then again, you've gotten weaker emotionally, I take it? Such a shame… love makes everyone weak… Especially that one big browed boy and his other friends… So sad--"

"What the hell did you do to them, you twisted bastard?!" If I kept playing the innocent and pissed little girl, he'd lead me to where I wanted to go.

His place. It almost sent a shudder down my spine just thinking about how wrong that sounded.

"Nothing that they weren't anticipating, I assure you," he replied in a not-so-innocent tone. Then again, since when was he? "How are you doing?"

"I don't get what you mean…"

"What I'm asking is how is my little test subject? Are the enhancements working well," he said in a sickly sweet voice as his head and neck circled me. I growled.

"Keep insulting my worth and you're gonna find out the painful way," I said, crouching down and flexing my fingers.

"What now: are you going to injure me again?" His voice seemed like it was begging me to hit him now. It kinda sickened me. "Or are you going to wait for dear Ryoku to join us?" His face had on a look of mock inquiry as he raised his make-up painted eyebrow.

I stiffened and shook my head. No way in hell was I gonna wait for him. I made some quick handsigns and waved at the end. "Sayonara dickwad," I yelled, and disappeared in a sharp green light.

'_Thos questions… was he testing me? If so, then I bombed it.' _I smirked. _'They aren't great teachers anyway..'_

_Lee's POV_

Ino-chan took me back home and she, Sai, and I talked over tea. And then they left only 2 hours ago to go home, and hoped I would be fine until they came tomorrow. I knew I'd be fine, because addiction and love are so close together, it's hard to see the line between.

I'm meaning Kenisha's love for me and my love for her, that is.

I've been waiting patiently, faithfully, for my Kenisha-koi to return, but that was for too long now. She never said when she'd be back. But she always comes back to me, one way or another.

"Dammit koi, where the hell are you?" My voice went unanswered and my citrine shard glowed faintly in the light. "Are you coming home," I asked the shard as if it was Kenisha herself. The light around it intensified as if in answer to my question, and Kenisha appeared on the other side of the room.

I lit up. "Kenisha-koi--"

"No time! Orochimaru is looking for me now, you've gotta leave," she said hurriedly as she threw her clothes from the chest of drawers into her shoulder pack. "If he hurts any of my special people, especially you, because of me…" She faltered slightly and tightened her grip on the cloak she was about to put in her pack. "If he hurt you because of me..."

She gazed at the floor, unwilling to say more.

"You're running away again, but this time for longer, aren't you?" The torn up look on her face was all the explanation I needed. "Well then, I'm not going to let you," I said firmly, standing up from my waiting position on my bed.

"But- what about last time? Do you remember what happened?" My fists clenched unconsciously at the memory; just hearing about that fateful day made me feel tense.

"How can I not?" It was the day that I couldn't follow you. The day you left and nearly died time and time again, but wouldn't because… you want one of your special people to kill you. I looked into her eyes, the flames in mine lighting a source of hope in hers. "That's why I'm not leaving. I'm not letting you leave me again, koi."

I lightly rubbed the skin of her cheek as I said this, then pulled her a little closer to me. She dropped her pack in shock. She stared at me with her beautiful, innocent warm chocolate eyes. They were one of the things about her that had changed so much… yet not changed. They were always showing too much emotion, always telling me everything about her from one glance. I didn't like what they were telling me now.

'_She's so messed up inside… she's lost in her own pain. As TenTen-nee is lost… When was the last time that they both smiled? Truly smiled?' _I shook my head at the stupidity of my question. For Kenisha, it was when she first saw me at the Kimochi compound. For TenTen, it was every time she saw any of us… but she always had a special smile for Neji alone. One that was never coming back.

"Lee-koishi?" I untangled myself from my thoughts and looked at her again. This time her voice was showing too much emotion as well. I said nothing to her, but closed the small distance between us by pulling her into my arms and then resting my chin on the top of her head. My left hand left hand on the top of her spine, the fingers of that hand playing with the slightly curly locks of her hair, and my right hand on the small of her back, holding her place and slowly inching toward her waist. She couldn't move, and we both knew that we didn't want to.

"I think I know how I can make you stay." I tilted her chin up and then kissed her with more enthusiasm and longing than I knew I had. Soon my hands were on other places; her face, her hair, her chest… She weakly kissed me back, taken by surprise. After a few moments, our lips parted briefly, our noses still touching. She looked into my eyes, and I knew she wanted more.

_It's like I can't breathe_

_It's like I can't see anything_

_Nothing but you_

_I'm addicted to you_

_It's like I can't think_

_Without you here, haunting me_

_In my thoughts, in my dreams_

_You're taking over me_

_It's like I can't breathe…_

_It's like I can't breathe…_

_x- lyrics from song Addicted by Kelly Clarkson-x_

_Kenisha's POV_

His kiss had sent an almost forgotten flame throughout my body, awakening a different, more daring person inside of me. And he knew I wanted more of that feeling.

"Koishi…" I began kissing him with somewhat of the same energy he had, and he kissed me back. I was pulling him down, closer to me, so I could put a fresh picture of him in my head. My hands roamed his body, noting the injuries and the imperfections; the things that made him Lee. He was doing the same to me, and in the midst of our wildfire, he sat down on the bed and leaned back, his hands riding on my waist. I straddled his hips and wrapped my arms around his neck.

"I've-" Kiss. "-Wanted-" Kiss. "-this-" I pulled his head to me and made the kiss deeper. "-so fucking much," I breathed.

"So have I." Yes, we both wanted this. We both wanted to make love one last time before I leave him forever that is. He reached under my shirt and undid the bra I preferred to wear instead of breast bindings. In return I ripped his shirt off and threw it aside. Before I reached his pants, his strong hands held my wrists.

"Are you really sure you want this, koi? I mean, you know what happened last time…" I shook my head. No way was I so close to making love with Lee and giving it up for that stupid reason. Side's Kimochis always got pregnant on the first time. So with my fucked up logic, I think that I could have sex without getting pregnant the second time. Ain't that cool?

"I don't wanna hear about last time. What I wanna hear," I held the sides of his chest in my hands, slowing snaking around his back and holding there, my lips pressed to his neck, "is you saying yes."

"But to have sex here--" His eyes drifted from mine as I got on an angry expression.

"Lee-koi, if you're my fiancée, we're having more than sex: We're making love on your bed, god dammit, and if I can't get what we've both been wanting for over 3 years, then I'm getting the fuck off of you, cuz you're the only thing keeping me here!"

I could tell the words hit him hard. I mean, last time "had sex" in Lee's terms was on the mission that caused me to leave. And since he saw me being emo about everything that once was, why should making love be any different? I got off him and sighed, rehooking my bra as I turned away from him in shame. "Gomen nasai. I shouldn't be doing any of this; I shouldn't be using our love to my advantage… I just…"

I couldn't find anything to say to him. I was the one who left, and here I was, begging for his body. "I should've just left. If pleasure is the cost, then so be it. Not having you here with me, alive, is worse, even unthinkable." OK, what's up? Now he's pissed at me!

"Is that why you're cutting yourself? Is that why you've led on a wild goose chase for almost 3 years?! IS THAT WHY YOU LEFT, SO AS NOT TO HURT _ME_?!"

I heard the bed creak as he got up, and felt his hands holding my shoulders in a vice. It hurt; his short fingernails were cutting into my skin. _'But not enough...not enough to forget the pain of the past.' _

"Look at me now!" I didn't move my eyes. I didn't want to see him like this.

"Kenisha, look at me now!" He shook me and his grip got tighter. It felt almost abusive, but I knew what real abuse was.

"Kenisha!"

The lack of honorific told me I just fucked up. His fingers came to my right temple and in a split second my eyes were forced to look into his, and I saw the monster they contained; worse than any rogue Jinchuuriki. And I kept staring…

I was paralyzed with fear.

_Lee's POV_

I saw the reflection of my face in her eyes. The anger. The pain. And her fear… her fear of me.

But even that wasn't enough to stop me. I was beyond furious, beyond enraged. For her to think that she was the only one suffering: it's bullshit!

"You're not the only one who's hurting here! In fact, I'm hurting even now, when you're in front of me, because you're just going to slip through my fingers again! You hurt me when you're not around; you hurt me when you're here. I'm an empty shell with no soul to speak of either way. And the depression pills don't help…" I averted my gaze to the nightstand and relaxed my fingers a little, and I heard her exhale slowly. "I can't possibly kill you either… It would be like killing myself. A world with you is a sweet, sweet hell, but a world without you is a darkness that I wouldn't be able to escape from." She didn't reply. "Don't you understand!? I'm trying to make a point here!!" I shook her as I said those words, but she didn't show any signs of pain.

Either it didn't hurt, or she kept all of it inside. She closed her eyes again and slowly got out of my grasp.

"And this is all because you said "I love you", right? Because you love me?" I nodded, out of breath. I bent on my knees and breathed in deeper and slower, trying to get back under control. "Then why do you still love me?"

I looked up at her incredulously. "I love you because of all we've been through and fought through to be together. Your voice, your warmth, your smile… and because I can't possibly think of a life without you."

She snorted. "You just contradicted your last words, Lee-koi. And I think that's bullshit, considering what those damned words consisted of! After all that shit you just said, you're gonna say you love me?"

**(-insert Sadness and Sorrow music… XD)**

I breathed in deeper, unwilling to say anything that would provoke her any further. "What I'm thinking is that you're tired of running after me. That you're tired of the thought of me, the whole idea of me. Sometimes, now more often then not, I get tired to. Tired of living, tired of dreaming, tired of simply existing. Ever since I left, I've been tired. And if my being alive and not with you hurts this much, then what the hell is my being here doing for you? What would my death do to you?" She crossed her arms and tilted her head to the moon, her golden-tinted eyes shimmering in the moonlight.

"What I'm trying to say is that I wish I never fell in love with you."

I stopped my even breathing pattern and shook slightly. I was feeling nauseated and held onto my neck, rubbing it, coughing. "W-What?"

"I should've died on that bridge in the Land of Water, so even though you'd grieve for me, you'd forget. Now I've made too much of an impression in your life, and condemned us both to a living death." It took me a minute to notice that it was not light shining down her cheeks, but small, crystal tears.

"It would all be solved if you came back," I tried to negotiate, but she countered.

"I've been back, Lee-koishi. But.. I can't. Gomen nasai."

"Why can't you? We could help you, I could take care of you, you don't have to--"

"It's not that simple…" She looked at me with those golden-tinted eyes of hers, the watery orbs piercing my soul. She truly couldn't stay, and in that instant, I knew why.

"They'll kill me and end the line… They'll kill me and… The angels will die too."

"Who?"

"Orochimaru and Ryoku. They're going to kill me, then they're going to kill my angels… They're going to kill all of my angels…"

_oooo~xox~oooo_

_Somewhere far off in the reaches of the Land of Stones_

Orochimaru was sitting on his stone throne, Ryoku kneeling in front of him. Kabuto was healing the albino's wounds, chuckling as he went.

"I can't believe she tore the skin off of your handsome face, Oro-sama…"

"Oh, shush, Kabu-chan, I'm talking business here," Orochimaru chuckled, then returned his attention to Ryoku.

"Is that even possible, Orochimaru-sama?"

The albino's cold laugh reverberated in the old man's ears. "Why yes, Ryoku: it seems that the water-user we captured 2 years ago that gave us so much trouble before has a secret."

"And that is?"

"If we kill her, the line will end, and all of the water in the world will cease to exist. By using the oh-so beautiful clones we've made from the DNA we've cultivated from her and her cousins…" He gestured to the vats with human-like shapes inside, shifting and reforming. One of them opened their eyes, and then closed them. "Well, there really isn't anything we can do about it besides rule the people that need the water, and therefore exact my dream of taking over the world."

"But what about the angels? If they attack us during…" Ryoku pondered and groaned. "We'd be slaughtered."

Orochimaru pictured the fourteen angels in his mind's eye and bowed his head, sighing. "Yes, that would be a bother, wouldn't it? But then again… we have a secret weapon, or _weapons, _per say."

"What are they?"

"The Innocents: the people they bonded with. The Konoha ninja. The Last Kimochi. We use them, no one can stop us. Besides," he laughed, "it isn't like that water-brat can spawn anything more anyway."

Ryoku chortled. "Clearly you jest! I was the one that dirtied my hands with her filth! Of course she can still reproduce!"

Orochimaru shook his index finger from side to side. "Wrong-o. Before she left, I think I must've broken them… her ovaries, I mean. She can no longer have a child, so the meaning of her life and jutsu is dead."

Kabuto kissed Orochimaru's uninjured cheek and giggled. "That's my Oro-sama! Always destroying someone's hopes and dreams for the evil people! I love it!"

"No legacy… Hm, I like it," Ryoku said, scratching his chin as he got up from his kneeling crouch. He turned around and smirked. "It seems we have a visitor…"

A figure was seen faintly in the darkness, it's angelic wings shining like stars.

"Your time has come…Now die!" Her feathers flew through the air like arrows, their target: Ryoku.

* * *

**KICK ASS CLIFFHANGER!! I LOVE HOW THIS TURNED OUT, IT TOOK ME FOREVER CONSIDERING I'M GROUNDED!! X3**

**REVIEW ME, PLEASE AND THANKIES!**


	13. Back to the Base

**Chapter 13- Back to the Base**

_I will sacrifice_

_I will sacrifice_

_All I have in life_

_To clear my conscience_

_I will sacrifice_

_I will sacrifice_

_All I have in life_

_Sacrifice, sacrifice_

_x- lyrics to Sacrifice by T.a.T.u.-x_

_Kenisha's POV_

He would wake up alone. Its how it has to be, I know it.

It didn't make me feel any better about leaving the embrace. Not a bit. Not as I tied my hair up. Not as I splashed some water on my face. And not as I looked back at what I left in the bed when I put on clean undergarments.

I got on some new clothes and groaned softly as the slightly baggy black jeans went over my inner thighs. _'He bites hard…' _The throbbing in my legs will be a hindrance, I know it. Even so, I garbed my black cloak and teleported out of the house, starting out in a full sprint outside of the Konoha gates.

"Auntie!"

I stopped abruptly and turned back to face my wayward "nephew", Shizuke. "Hai, Shizu-chan?"

"You're leaving again?" I nodded. No point in lying to him. "Nande?"

"Because I have a job to do, Shizuke." He looked into my eyes and in the faint moonlight, I saw them shining with water. "Don't cry, Shizu-chan, I'll be back."

OK, I thought I just agreed with myself that I wouldn't lie to him. He rushed up and hugged me, then stepped back and let go.

"Ja ne, Auntie. And tell my mom and dad I miss them," he said with a slightly higher pitch, as if he was about to cry. No matter what, my tough little Shizuke was still an 8 year old.

"Ja ne, Shizu-chan. And if you look up and say it, they'll hear you." I stepped back and turned around, my tail swishing silently behind me. "And tell the others to hold Lee-koishi here." Then I ran without a second look.

Second looks make it harder to leave.

But I had to. I had to leave for my angels.

'_I hope to the Kimochi souls in Heaven that he won't tell anybody… I hope to you God. You'd better fuckin' listen this time…'_

_Seems like it was yesterday when I saw your face  
You told me how proud you were but I walked away  
If only I knew what I know today_

_Would you tell me I was wrong?  
Would you help me understand?  
And you looking down upon me?  
Are you proud of who I am?  
There's nothing I wouldn't do  
To have just one more chance  
To look into your eyes  
And see you looking back  
Whoa-o-oh  
I'm sorry for blaming you  
For everything I just couldn't do  
And I've hurt myself  
For hurting you..._

_x- lyrics from Hurt by Christina Aguilera-x_

_TenTen's POV_

_'Neji.. no I can't think of you... It hurts...'_

I hadn't slept in days; my eyes refused to close. I was dressed in a variation of the funeral clothes I had on last: all black gouchos with a fishnet top, over-layed with a black and gold-trimmed shirt that had a V-cut. Not much, but it was all I could get. I wasn't willing to go back into the house just yet.

I was admitted out of the hospital with the warm suggestion of: "Get some sleep, you'll feel a lot better, TenTen," by the receptionist.

Well, she was at the fuckin' funeral she should know that I'm not going to "feel a lot better." I sighed and kept walking toward my destination: Lee's house. I needed my brother right now, more than ever. I knocked on the door and ruffled my wings a little bit; they were getting numb from not moving like they should.

It took me a minute to realize that it's dawn and he's probably still asleep. When I was about to open the door, a small hand stopped me. I looked down and saw that small boy that Kenisha and her cousins were fond of, Shizuke.

"Auntie TenTen," Hey, I never said I _wasn't_ fond of him, "Auntie Kenisha isn't in there."

I smiled. "I know, Shizuke. I'm actually here for Uncle Lee." Shizuke nodded and opened the door for me. The faint light flooded through the doorframe to reveal a relatively clean house, save a few specks of dust and shoes on the carpet. I walked in, taking off my shoes and laying them next to Lee's, going down the hallway and into Lee's room. Shizuke opened this door too, and when it opened all the way, I almost giggled and gasped at the same time.

All of Lee's clothes and some of Kenisha's undergarments were strewn haphazardly on the floor and on the handle of the closet, in Kenisha's bra's case. I cautiously walked around the clothes and tapped Lee in the arm.

"Lee, up."

He woke up slowly, his eyes blinking and his left hand scratching his head. "Ken- TenTen? What are you doing in my house?"

"Oh, that's a nice way to greet your sister, Lee. I can come in whenever… or at least after you and Kenisha are done with whatever the hell happened in here."

He was still kinda out of it, so got up from his bed in all his nude glory and stretched. I averted my eyes; seeing Lee naked once in the good old days was enough for me. Shizuke just whimpered and shut his eyes and covered them with his hands.

"Lee, you're naked!"

"I'm what?" He looked down and quickly grabbed his boxers from the floor and put them on. "Uh, I'm sorry, TenTen…"

I sighed. "It's OK, but I think you mentally scarred your nephew." I gestured to the boy beside me; Shizuke still had his eyes closed.

Lee bent down and ruffled his hair. "I'm not naked anymore, you can open your eyes."

"No! You still have red marks and cuts and some handcuffs on, you sick man!"

Lee looked down at his right hand and saw handcuffs attached to it. "Oh…" He got the key from under Kenisha's underwear and unlocked them. "So, TenTen, what brings you here at," he glanced at the clock, "1:45 AM?"

"I needed to talk. And you need to get some clothes on; I don't want to see your penis again."

Lee smirked. "Well, maybe I could just flash--" I hit him in the head with the handcuffs.

"No!" He rubbed the lump on his head and pouted.

"Tennie-chan that hurt Lee-Lee-chan!"

"Tennie-chan wants to get some damn talking going, so Lee-Lee-chan is going to have to deal with it," I said, marching out of the bedroom into his living room, settling on the couch. Lee followed in, dressed in black sweats and a white sleeveless tee, sitting down in the armchair diagonal from the couch.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

I bit my lip; I kinda forgot what I actually came here to talk about until now. "Um… I wanna talk about," my voice almost broke but I sucked in a breath and said, "Neji." Just saying his name made it seem like I was stabbing myself in the chest with a kunai. My expression changed from that of minimal depression to a look of the utmost pain and suffering. Saying his name... it was like seeing his bloody form in my arms all over again.

Lee's expression didn't change, but his voice did. "What about Neji do you want to talk about," his voice sounded wounded, as if saying his name hurt him as well. Then again, he was his brother, no matter how much they fought and denied it.

"I want to talk about him in general… It feels like I'm going insane, OK? I can't sleep, I'm not eating, not cleaning myself or grooming myself, and I haven't touched a weapon or another person in weeks!" I realized I was shaking, and my wings fully splayed, almost poised to strike. I had to concentrate to put them down.

"I can't do anything without him, I just can't. If I do, I see him where he would've been, like a god damn illusion. I see what he would've done, what he would've looked like, all of it! And it hurts, Lee!" I calmed myself and took a breath. "I just need something of him in my life right now, and being his brother you'd know what to do. I just... I just want him. I want him to talk to me. I want him to hold me. I want him to reprimand me when I'm acting childish or irrational... I just want want him here: I want him alive. And you.." I looked down. "You'd know what to do."

Lee stood up and gave me a hug, his arms pressing me to him despite how hard the wings made it. I slowly hugged him back, my head tucked safely on his shoulder. After a few moments he slowly pulled away, sitting beside me on the couch. "I know what to say too."

"Yeah, thanks Lee."

"So, Neji… There was this one time when we had a male sleepover with the other guys and played Truth or Humiliation." I felt my eyebrows rise.

"Truth or Humiliation? What the hell is that?"

"In the game, you either say a truth or get humiliated by the speaker: like, telling an embarrassing secret, having to dress up as a chicken, or having to kiss another male." He smirked. "I was so good, I never had to kiss anyone, but I did have to kinda dress up as a giant ice cream cone and let Kiba lick it off me."

"Lick what off… know what, I don't wanna know…" I held up my hands and shook them at him, turning away. He laughed.

"Neji was even better, but Sasuke made him say a Truth once or twice; they were about you." I stopped shying away and looked at him, grinning slightly.

"Sasuke and his damn sex questions… he asked about the sex, didn't he?"

Lee smiled. "How'd you know? Anyway, he asked Neji if he could describe your most recent sexual activities and Neji sat up and calmly stated, "During training, I got pinned to a tree by several kunai and shuriken. TenTen landed in front of me and cut my shirt down the middle, twirling the culprit kunai around her finger. My sleeves and the bottom of my shirt was still pinned to the tree. She was grinning at me, running her fingers through my hair as she worked her mistress magic on my chest," Lee held in a few laughs at the phrase and I blushed. That was his word for my sexual prowess.

"Then she cut with a katana, and my lower garments were no more. She ran a chain along my dick, sometimes tightening, sometimes loosening. None of her clothes were off, which infuriated me. I struggled against the weapons, but to no avail. She just smiled her sexy smile and said, "In time, Mr. Stiffy, in time. You've gotta work for it." And work I didn't; she was going to have to punish me sooner or later. Finally, after she was done with the whip, and cracked it beside me and took out the weapons holding my arms in place. "Since you're such a bad boy, I'm gonna give you the warden's treatment," she'd said, running her fingers down my arms and over my hip, stopping just a few inches from my dick. It was torture. I tried to remove her top, but she flitted out of the way, her movements like an intricate dance. That dance made me harder." Lee looked at me and raised an eyebrow.

"OK, OK, so maybe I was a little bit over the top, but what could I do? I was bored from training for over 5 hours! And he's damn sexy," I said in defense of myself, crossing my arms.

"Yeah, and using your "mistress magic" on him made us get hard-ons, TenTen!"

I gasped. "Ooooo, I'm telling the girls about this!"

"Who, your breasts? They were there!"

"No they weren't! They were in Neji's bed, waiting impatiently for his tongue to come home. And I'm talking about the other kunoichi, baka! We always talk about that kind of stuff!"

"That's disgusting!"

"It's sex, it's supposed to be disgusting… disgustingly amazing…"

I heard a small gasp and we both realized that Shizuke was still there.

"Oh God, Shizuke, I'm so sorry--"

I held a hand to Lee's mouth, and looked at Shizuke. His eyes weren't on us. In the reflection of his eyes, I saw…

"Emily?" I blinked and looked at the oldest Kimochi cousin, who was standing a few feet from the open front door. **(She's older than Katie by two minutes.) **She was dressed in a red and black shirt, black arm sleeves with fishnet on them, and black skinny jeans, on her feet black and white Ninja Converse.

"Donde esta mi prima," she asked fiercely.

I recognized the Spanish and replied slowly, "Ni idea, Emicita."

"Why are you speaking in tongues," Lee shouted, and I patted his back.

"Yo hablo en espanol, Lee," I said, and he looked even more confused after that. "Spanish, Lee. Spanish."

Emily frowned and went to Lee, examined him and asked, "If you had sex with her, then you should one, be taking a damn shower, two, be looking for her, and three, taking us with you."

"Who's this "us"? And how did you know that I had sex with--"

"Some of her cum is in your hair, you sick bastard." I examined him a little better and confirmed that yes, some sort of sex juice was in Lee's hair.

I shoved him off the couch and shouted, "You hugged me, and you had my sister's damn cum in you hair!! Take a damn shower, Lee!" He nodded and ran into the bathroom.

Emily looked at me. "You haven't been taking care of yourself, girl." I sighed. My hair was a mess; its strands were tangled and knotted. My wings looked unpreened, and my skin had lost its luster, along with getting stained in places. My teeth hadn't been brushed much, and I felt my stomach growl angrily, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, I know. But its just--" She held a hand up and pet my hair, smiling sadly.

"I know, TenTen. I've lost my important people before too. Now come with me, Ino and Sakura want you clean." She took my hand and lead me away. As we went out the door, I yelled to Shizuke,

"Stay with Uncle Lee, but don't go in the bathroom!"

_TenTen's __POV_

I was dragged to Sakura's by the pinkette herself and my other friends and tried not to voice my discomfort and fear when they locked the door behind them.

"TenTen-chan, you're a complete disaster."

I smiled weakly and laughed. "Wonderful thing to say to your friend, Ino-chan". Sakura just rolled her eyes and went upstairs, I assumed to get a couple things for me.

"I'm serious. You look horrible, you need to get clean," Ino said, proceeding to push me into Sakura's bathroom, following right in. Hinata and Temari just stood behind her with apologetic looks on their faces. I looked down at myself, and I had to admit, I did. Even with the clothes I obtained from the hospital, I still looked dead and depressed. I hadn't even accepted the baths they offered to me, and there was no way in hell they'd try and force it. Not to someone that could easily cut them across their jugular.

Sakura came back down with a small box and a towel. "Go upstairs, we're getting you clean."

I raised and eyebrow. "You're what? You're going to bathe me?"

"No duh, Ten-chan. You're obviously uncapable," Ino said, flicking her tongue in her mouth and shaking her head in disappointment.

"I believe the term is "incapable", Ino-chan," Hinata corrected her, to which Ino stuck her tongue out, then turned to me. "We all care about you, TenTen-nee-chan, and we all saw how you... sort of broke at the funeral. So now... well, we're going to help you."

"And the first step is getting clean, so get your dirty ass to the bathroom," Temari said, slightly shoving me in the direction of the stairs. I grudgingly complied, making my way up Sakura's stairs and turning the corner to the master bedroom, then into the master bathroom. They all filed in behind me, blocking the door with their bodies. Ino went to the bathtub and put the plug down, turning on the water to hot, and dumping some bubble mix into the water.

Temari put the towel on the rack and went over to me, giving me an unexpected hug. "Even if I wasn't there, I know what it's like to lose someone you love, and I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I hope you can forgive me."

I'd almost never heard her sound so sincere in all the time I've known her. I hugged her back and looked up into her hair; her face was covering mine. "I do Tema-chan. And it's OK: it's actually better that you didn't see me there anyway." I let her go and and went over to Hinata, who helped me get the two shirts over my wings. Then I untied my breast bindings and took a shaky breath. Even if we did bathe together on weekends at the hot springs, I was never truly comfortable being naked around my friends. Sort of like Hinata is. I pulled down my pants and looked at my legs, unshaven and dirty. Then I peeled off my underwear and stepped into the bath water, moaning softly at the warmth. I laid all the way down and wet my hair. When I came back up, not only was my hair a shade darker, but it left dirt and other such things behind.

"Geez, Ten-chan," Ino said, crawling behind me and sitting on the edge of the bath, squeezing some shampoo into her hand. "Who knew hot water and some bubbles could turn you on?"

"Shut up," I muttered, sinking deeper into the bubbles. Hinata handed me a washcloth and I began to relieve the dirt and grime from my body, secretly cheering at the fact that no one could see. While I washed myself, Ino was working her magic on my hair, her fingers softly massaging my scalp and washing the depression from me.

_'Just as Neji used to...' _I felt my eyes water, but covered up my sorrow by quickly washing my face with the soapy water. The other four didn't seem to notice.

"Hey TenTen, I have a question for you," Sakura asked. I sighed. Leave it to Sakura to have a question.

"Hai?"

"Do you ever... dream of Neji?"

I gave her a look. "What kind of question is that? Don't you dream of Kiba? Doesn't Ino dream of Sai? And Temari of Shikamaru and Hinata of Naruto? We all do."

Sakura narrowed her eyes as she blushed pinker than her hair and put her hands on her hips. "You know what I mean, TenTen-chan. Do you dream of him?"

Now I knew what she was getting at. "... Of course I do." Ino stopped massaging my head and dunked my head down, scrubbing the soap out of my hair quickly before letting me back up.

"Oh Ten..." She squirted some conditioner in her hand and scrubbed it into my hair next, taking extra time this time, realizing I'd need the comfort.

"What are those dreams about?" She sat on the toilet with a clipboard and wrote down a couple things.

I took a breath and blew some bubbles off of my chest, watching as they flew out quickly and then fluttered slowly back down. "A lot of things... most of the time they're nightmares, and sometimes they're memories.... some of those memories are soft, sweet, some are violent and daring. And some rare few... they're so precious, so personal... and then I wake up. And I feel my world crash around me again, because I'm in bed alone and Neji isn't going be there." I heard Sakura scribble on her clipboard furiously, hearing her make check marks and X's in places.

"What are the nightmares about?" I looked up at Sakura and her burnished jade eyes looked apologetic. They didn't help.

"Blood. Neji. Screaming. Lots of blood..." I didn't care that I was getting repetetive. "And more Neji. There's Neji covered in blood, a Neji somewhere else lying motionless on the ground. And then... there's another one: he yells at me. He.. He blames me for everything. That the ten years he'd known me were the worst of his life, and that my stupidity ended it..." I hung my head and heard Ino grunt, having to bend lower to get at my hair. "And sometimes I wake up and try to ignore what he says... and other times I believe him. I'm nothing but an idotic, blubbering little girl that can't even throw a kunai in a straight line without her husband here. I can't take care of myself, I can't pursue my ninja career, and I can't bear to look into any Hyuuga eyes, can't even go in the house... I can't do anything."

Hinata tensed up and looked me dead in the eyes, which I looked quickly away from; I noticed that hers had barely noticable red rims around them. "TenTen-nee, you are not! You're just hurting, just as I am. You shouldn't bring yourself down, not down to this. The TenTen I know and love like my sister is strong, determined, compassionate and daring and doesn't let things like losing or getting beaten get her down. She'll come right back up and be above the rest, just like a bird. A beautiful, simple yet elegant chocolate brown colored bird. Don't let anyone or anything bring you down, TenTen-nee... don't let anyone clip your wings."

Temari leaned on Hinata's shoulder and cockily grinned. "Yeah, TenTen-chan. You're one of the most amazing people I know; you don't let anything hurt you and you fight to make you precious people happy. Don't let this break you, and smile for yourself for once... onegai, Nee-chan."

"Yeah, TenTen-nee-chan," Ino said, rubbing my head a little more than before," You can't let this change who you are. You're still TenTen: the sexiest weapons mistress in all of Konoha." She winked. "Don't wanna let that title go down the tubes, do ya?"

"Yeah, TenTen-nee," Sakura said getting up," Just because Neji's gone, doesn't mean that you have to be too. Live for him, TenTen-nee."

I looked up at her and looked fierce and determined. I felt my crumbling walls finally break down, and then a light coursed through me, warming me, bringing me back. Then out the window, I saw a shadow of Neji, crouched on the sill, smirking at me.

_"Great job, TenTen-tenshi. Make me proud today... You can do it. Will you?"_

He faded and I was brought back to Earth by Sakura and the others asking me the question again.

"Don't let his death crush you, TenTen. Can't you live for him?"

I smiled at the window for a moment before turning back to them. "Fine, I will."

_I don't wanna live  
I don't wanna breathe  
Unless I feel you next to me  
You take the pain I feel  
(Waking up to you never felt so real)  
I don't wanna sleep  
I don't wanna dream  
Cuz those dreams are company to the way  
You make me feel  
(Waking up to you never felt  
So  
Real!)_

_x- lyrics from Comatose by Skillet -x_

_Lee's POV_

I sat in the hot water, deciding to take a bath instead of a shower. I was remembering last night; how wonderful it felt… and how so much, it felt like the last time I'd ever feel it.

"_**Lee-koishi…" She hissed, arching her back as I rolled my tongue over her breasts. She pulled on my hair and brought me up, kissing me in earnest. I kissed her back, lifting her leg with one hand, holding her to me with the other. She was so wet already, and we'd only just started.**_

_**It made me want to clean it up a little. I smirked. "What's on your mind, Lee-koishi?"**_

_**As my hot breath tickled her clit, she squirmed, her knee threatening to clonk me in the head. But my shoulders held it at bay, and I inclined my head, rubbing against her core with my head, licking any of the heavenly liquid that got on my lips. She couldn't take it anymore and flipped us over, grabbing some handcuffs out of nowhere and binding me to the head board. Her wet core rubbed against my hardened cock as she moved onto my hips and I held in a groan.**_

"_**You're coming first," she told me, playful as ever. Then she took her tongue and—**_

I jolted from my memories when I heard a knock at the door. "Uncle Lee? Are you done?"

"N-No, Shizuke-kun. I'll be out in just a minute." I quickly washed myself and got up, pulling the drain of the tub before wrapping the fluffy white towel around my waist. I dried off and put on my clothes, thinking about what I'd do if I let that memory keep playing. I walked calmly out of the bathroom and looked around. "Where's TenTen and Emily?"

"Outside, they just got back from Sakura's. They're speaking in some weird language or something…" I nodded and headed out, grabbing my shoes from the carpet. Emily and a much better-looking TenTen were talking heatedly in Spanish a few yards from the door, Katie and Yamato discussing more quietly in English by the tree next to the side of the house. Then I looked right in front of me and saw an unexpected face: Temari.

"Yo, weird kid, where's chibi-chan?" Her teal gaze pierced into my eyes and I quickly explained,

"We had sex and she left me before I woke up this morning. I have no idea where she is."

She sighed irritated and threw her hands in the air. "Just great! I bet she's on one of her little "bounty hunting adventures" or something. But dammit, with Orochimaru so close to Suna--"

"What's he doing around Suna?" She gave me a look and calmly said,

"He's after some of our experimental geneticist devices. No idea why, but he wants them bad for his embryonic research. And I have an inkling that Kenisha's involved…"

"Yeah, he took some of her embryos from her when she was his captive," I said, going deep in thought. Temari noticed Shizuke and groaned.

"Damn, who brought the kid here?!"

TenTen turned away from Emily, huffed, and said, "He followed me here. He misses Kenisha."

"I don't miss just her, you know…," he mumbled, lowering his head and becoming absorbed with the placemat. TenTen put a hand on his shoulder and kissed his tiny cheek.

"We're gonna find her, Shizu-chan," she said, rubbing his shoulder and looking up at me. "I'm gonna scout around the perimeter with Temari. Hinata's already looking around in the forest and Katie's gonna join her in a minute. And Emily is keeping with you to get information, cuz she's good at that," she said the last sentence with a touch of annoyance.

I nodded again and fingered my citrine shard, which wasn't glowing like it usually was when she was near. "She's farther away than we think…"

"Then I'll search farther away then, I'll be back," TenTen said, taking off before I could say another word. Some of the feather-like bits of fur from her wings fluttered in the gust of wind her wings made.

Temari opened her fan and jumped into the sky, following TenTen effortlessly without saying the name of her jutsu. I marveled at them before going to Katie and saying, "If you guys see anything, knock down a tree or something that'll alert us."

"Twin telepathy will work just fine, thank you. Ja ne, Tenzou-koi," she said quickly, kissing Yamato's lips before sinking into the ground and traveling wherever Hinata was.

Yamato put on his mask and teleported away, probably to ANBU. That left Emily, Shizuke, and me in the front of my house.

"What are you waiting for, you bastards? We have a chibi to find," Emily said, speed walking to the one place we'd find a gold mine of information: The Hokage's office.

_Normal POV_

The small group had reached the Hokage's office in the standard amount of time, knocking on the door angrily.

Well, Emily was.

"Let me in dammit! What the hell are you doing in there, pleasuring yourself?! Get your ass over here and let me in!" She pounded on the door while Shizuke and Lee sweatdropped.

Finally, an irritated Shizune flung the door open, her expression livid and her eyes tired. "What the hell is your problem?! It's 2:15 in the morning," she whispered angrily.

"Yeah, and Kenisha isn't in bed with Lee like people should after fucking so we're here to ask Tsunade where she went," Emily said, crossing her arms and leaning her weight on her right leg, tilting her head as if she was waiting for an answer.

Shizune sighed as she heard Tsunade rustle her sheets and get up. "Shizune, who the hell is at the door?"

"Uchiha Emily, ma'am," Shizune muttered wearily, opening the door wider to reveal a disgruntled and slightly pissed off Tsunade.

"What dya want, brat?" She leaned on the doorframe beside Shizune, adjusting her robe so her, ahem, assets wouldn't escape her.

"I wanna know where my cousin is. You and Lee last saw her, so you guys are who I'm asking. I've already asked the not-so guilty Lee, who got laid before she left," Emily said, glaring Lee's way. He just shrugged his shoulders and cocked his head, embarassed.

"I have no idea where she went, only who she went after."

"I have two guesses, and I know I'm right: Orochimaru and Ryoku."

Tsunade nodded, her eyes closing in confirmation. "Yes. So I'm assuming that she'll have gone a long way already." Emily looked right at her with an air of nobility, from where no one was sure.

"I need you to tell me where you think they are. And who her accomplices are. Right now."

"There's nothing I've said that you don't already know. I don't know of her accomplices or of where they are. But what I do know is of someone who does know that information," she said lazily, her hand pawing in the empty air as if a cup of sake would magically appear if she wished it to.

Emily nodded and pushed Shizuke out from behind her. "You can take care of him while we're gone, right?" Shizune began to protest, but without further ado, Tsunade closed the door on her and the child, pulling Emily in so she could whisper the name in her ear.

"Arigatou, Tsunade-sama," Emily said, bowing slightly before dragging Lee out of the Tower and sending a mental message to Katie.

_Wherever Katie is_

She sent a couple rocks into the sky and TenTen and Temari streaked down, a gust of wind slamming against the ground as they hovered a couple feet over it.

"You find anything?"

"Emily-nee has. We're going to a certain ninja's humble abode," Katie said, hopping onto Temari's fan and giving her directions, Hinata being carried by TenTen.

_The Forest of Death Hinata's POV_

We flew until we could see Emily and her giant two-headed snake slithering through the forest, Lee standing unsteadily beside her. We landed on it and Emily pointed to a small cottage smack dab in the middle of a poisonous insect and snake infested clearing. She smirked.

"Elapid, time to eat." The large two-headed snake did as she commanded, and soon after we were able to walk on the ground confidently.

Temari knocked on the door impatiently and yelled, "If anyone's home, open up!"

We were met with the unkept mane of Hatake Kakashi, followed by the rest of his head. "What are you kids doing here?"

"Where's Anko?"

Kakashi slumped on the doorframe and held onto his Sharingan eye, looking up at the lightening sky. "I wish I knew... she just kissed me goodbye and said "I have a score to settle. I'll be back if I win." Then she smirked and said "Which I always do"," he looked at us, "And I never thought to ask her where she'd be going..."

"We know where she went," Lee said, putting a hand on Kakashi's shoulder. I smiled and went to them.

"Kakashi-sensei," I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "We'll find her. We will." He gave me a smile through his mask.

"Well c'mon people, we've got women to rescue," TenTen quickly shouted, shooting off into the sky, so fast that bits of the feather-like-fur on her wings flew off of the scales and fluttered to the ground, she herself becoming a speck in the lightening purple-blue-orange sky. We dutifully followed, Emily and most of the others on Elapid, Kakashi and I on the ground.

As I stared up at her through my Byakugan, I saw a fallen angel, her love gone, her heart growing cold, and her happiness blowing away in the wind. But I also saw her fierce determination and her own Will of Fire. She wouldn't let any of us down, and she'd find Kenisha and kill Neji and her parents' murderer. No matter if she died or not. No matter what. If she could live for him, she could die for him.

Her eyes couldn't hide her feelings from mine. My eyes saw it all.

_'Then it's my job,' _I thought, _'to keep you alive, TenTen-nee-chan.'_

_Everybody here, gettin' outta control  
Get your backs off teh wall  
Cuz Misdemeanor said so  
Everybody here, gettin outta control  
Get your backs off the wall  
Cuz Misdemeanor said  
So_

_x- lyrics from Lose Control by Missy Elliot feat. Ciara -x_

_Koneko's POV_

I kept running until I felt that weird presence again and I knew I'd found the right place. The wierd presence always came from my seal, throbbing and itching as I got closer to Orochimaru. I also felt something else... another Orochimaru experiment, but...

I shook my head and kicked through the roots that hid the old rotted doorway from outsiders. Then I jumped down the flight of stairs and sprinted through the base, looking from side to side, my hair whipping behind me. "Not there," I kept saying. "Not there.... not that one... " I knew I found the right place after I heard a shriek of pain. Yet that shriek.. it sounded familiar. Then the scent reached my nose and my nostrils flared in anger. "No!"

The door to the chamber broke apart when I kicked it, it's splinters flying into the darkness of the chamber, shadows being cast by small candles in brackets around the room. But half were blown out by the draft coming from the hallway, so I couldn't see but an incomplete highlight of who it was. But that didn't matter: his smell was all I needed.

"Ryoku!"

The old man laughed and his shoulder twitched slightly. A loud gasp for air echoed through the cavern and I narrowed my eyes. "Put her down, Ryoku."

"Or what," he challenged, and I saw his shoulder twitch again. Her shrieks filled my eardrums again. I couldn't take it; I disappeared and cut my wrists in the dark: the pain helped me focus.

Then I snuck up behind him and backslapped him away from her, pulling the bleeding woman into the light. Mitarashi Anko was revealed, her longer, darker purple hair that was tied messily in a spiky ponytail plastered to her face, some blood flowing freely from her forehead. Her skin was a light gray-purple, her eyes a soft yellow. Her fingernails had gone claw-like, and she had a small tail growing out of her ass. The spikes on it retracted when she looked up at me.

Yes, my friends, Mitarashi Anko had gone Cursed Seal Level 2. "H-Hey kid... how'd you get here so fast?"

I smiled down at her. "I'm the fastest kid there is, Anko-shukubo." I hugged her and helped her shakily to her feet. "You feeling OK?"

She smirked at me and licked a kunai she had pulled out of her pouch. "Aren't I always kid?" I grinned back and licked some of my blood off of my katanas, my eyes looking sadistic. Ah, the habits I got from her...

"Time to kill a son of a bitch." She nodded, some of her hair falling out of place.

"Ah ah ah, not so fast," Ryoku said, amused by our declaration. "I need you to do something for me, Kimochi. You as well Mitarashi."

I growled and Anko narrowed her eyes. "What the hell did I say about uttering the Kimochi name around me, YOU ASSHOLE?" I felt my Chakra spike inside me, but was hindered by the seal on my chest; I couldn't use it.

"No need to get angry, dear girl. I just need some more of your eggs, that's all. And Mitarashi, Orochimaru-sama needs to have a quick word with you before Kabuto prepares you for the same treatment," he said casually as if he was naming instructions off a doctor's list.

A very fucked up, perverted, illegally insane doctor's list...

I tensed and then shoved Anko toward the exit. "Go. I don't want you to have the same fate as I do. Just fuckin' go."

"You expect me to leave you with the man who massacred your clan and then pedophile who took away my memories and gave me the Cursed Seal of Heaven? No way in this hell, kid. I'm staying," Anko said, getting angrier and crazier by the second.

I eventually nodded and walked about two steps before disappearing into one of my trademark Kurosendo Koneko attacks.

"Kurosendo style: Blades of Blood!" My voice echoed throughout the chamber, making it impossible to pinpoint where I was. I jumped on the pillars, going side to side as I sliced Ryoku with my katanas. Back and forth, right and left. Up and down. Side to side again. His blood was drenching me, seeping through my clothes and sticking to my skin like the sweat rolling down my body. Then I flipped off the pillars, charged toward his nearly unrecognizable body, and stabbed him through the chest, slicing my blades out the sides of his ribs. His crimson pain splashed onto the stone and dirtied my hands even more. I jumped away, knowing full well it didn't kill him, and yelled, "Anko, now!"

Anko nodded and jumped into the air, pulling her arms back as far as they could go, charging her cursed Chakra into them. She started spinning in a corkscrew fashion, until she was a blur, her hair coming undone and her wings almost cracking backward. Then she snapped her arms out toward him and shouted, "Ninpou: Shadow Snakes!" 5 snakes from each arm, black in color, their fangs larger than their heads, stabbed through Ryoku, getting covered in blood and organs. They pulled back out, and by Anko's command, bit chunks out of him, ripping him apart. They pulled back once more and bit his neck out, tearing his windpipe from his body.

She landed behind him, covered in his death and innocently licking on of her fingers, smirking like she was insane.

Well, after that display, I wouldn't doubt that she was. I grinned and she looked up at me, her eyes beaming.

"Can I have a hug now?" I sighed exasperatedly. Leave it to Anko to make a gory moment hilariously adorable. I nodded and jumped at her, glomping her on the back and knocking the both of us down. She turned over and hugged me back, petting my hair and laughing.

"Damn kid, you're a sight to behold. Ever heard of this wonderful thing called a shower?"

I stuck my tongue out and blew a raspberry. "You're one to talk. Did you eat him too?" I laughed with her at my failed attempt at a joke and got up, pulling her with me, dusting her off and getting some body matter off of her in the process. "Can't you stay clean for two seconds?"

"Can't you stay out of trouble for one?"

"How about we all talk about that over a medical table, shall we?"

I.

Almost.

Shit.

Myself.

"HOW THE HELL ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?!?!?" A sickly dismantled figure that was once Ryoku got up from his place on the floor, cracking his skull back into place. My eyes widened and Anko hissed.

"Please tone it down, dear, you did cut off one of my ears while you were hacking away at me. And I can't cover it because Mitarashi over there had her snakes eat my arms to the nibbled bone. But still, this can all be repaired. Just come with me and I'll get you clean and ready for the procedure." He was slowly regenerating, his flesh re-knotting itself back together. Some if it had to regrow, its sick smell over-coming me nose, making me want to throw up. He was slowly walking toward us now.

"OK, what the hell? How are you still breathing? How are you able to talk? WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING AT ME!?!" I tensed; here was the moment, when he would finally tell me.. tell me what the hell was wrong with him...

Ryoku let his evil laughter ring through the chamber for a few more moments before leaning his head toward us. "Because I cannot die."

I felt fear strike into my soul. He couldn't die.

He couldn't be killed.

He can't leave.

He won't go away.

He'll never leave me alone.

I'll never feel safe.

I'll never _be_ safe. I'll die before I see any of my angels alive again, excluding Anko. I felt my heart ripping itself apart, trying to kill me before he did.

My heart obviously isn't as strong as it once was.

He walked toward me and caressed my cheek, his dirty fingers rubbing circles into the flesh. "Come now, Kenisha, can't we just be a good little girl and do as I say? You wouldn't get punished if you'd just do as I tell you."

I felt my eyes widen and my spine straighten immediately. Do as he said.... so I wouldn't get punished. I can't get into trouble... or else I'll be punished. My eyes felt wet, but I didn't dare wipe them. I just blinked as quickly as I could. Do as he says, or I'll get punished.

"...nisha? Kenisha, deary, you're supposed to be listening to me. Did you hear what I said?"

My eyes snapped back to his, my fear becoming paramount as his cold obsidian orbs pierced into me. "I, uh... I... you said..." I almost cried. I didn't hear what he'd said. Now I'm gonna get raped... Just like before.

"You said that you were going to go easy on her as long as she gives you what you want. Lord Orochimaru would leave her little friends alone and let the prisoners free, as she does what you tell her. Miss Mitarashi will also be set free, but she will have to stay. She's of no value to him corrupted by Konoha," Anko said quickly, her eyes never leaving Ryoku's slowly regrowing body.

"Very well Miss Mitarashi, you recited it perfectly. But, I had asked if she had heard me, not you," he sneered, giving me a look of pure malice.

"I remembered, she did as well. She just can't talk under pressure, can you Kenisha-chan," Anko asked, her eyes leaving Ryoku for a second to give me a warm, protective look. I gave her a look of gratitude and love, and then looked back up at Ryoku.

"Uh, yeah. You just... your power is overbearing, Ryoku-sama. It left me paralyzed for a moment," I lied quickly, not daring to blink.

He pulled away and smiled a sick smile. "Oh, you treat me too well, dearest. Of course that was the reason. Thank you for reminding her, Miss Mitarashi." Anko glared back at him. "Well, I guess I must put you in your room now, to wait until Orochimaru-sama returns," he said lazily, putting a hand on his miraculously regenerating hip. Then he turned and walked away without another word.

I immediately followed, shivering even though it was relatively warm in the base. Anko followed beside me, slowly reverting back to her normal form, putting an arm over my shoulders. I took a couple breaths and my shvivering lessened, but my hands wouldn't obey. They shook violently, so I held them together in front of me in an almost pleading gesture. Anko rubbed her thumb over my temple and "shhed" me. "I'm not going to let him hurt you, Chibi-chan." I moved closer to her and almost shut my eyes. My mother's best friend, Mitarashi Anko... I was glad she was here. Yet I wanted desperately for her to run away. She can't be here.

Not with her best friend's daughter. Not with the man who murdered her best friend.

Not back with Orochimaru.

Our footsteps echoed down the tunnel as Ryoku hummed aimlessly to himself, clearly bored out of his mind. I got enough control over myself to glare at his back. I wished my glares could kill him, though if they did, he'd have been dead before he set foot on Kimochi grounds. None of this would've happened...

He opened a vaguely familiar door and shoved us inside. "This will be your home until Orochimaru-sama sees otherwise. Enjoy," he said sickly sweet, slamming the door and locking it from the outside. I heard some earth move and assumed he barricaded us in as well. I let out the breath I didn't know I'd been holding and let it shudder out.

"Oh my God... Oh my God, Anko-shukubo, we're not getting out of here! He's not gonna let us go, he's not gonna go easy he's gonna to make it worse and he's gonna kill the rest of the angels!! We're gonna die this time," I cried, punching the ground and thrashing violently, trying to get his disgusting blood off of my body.

Anko went behind me and held me up, pulling me into her. She had totally reverted back to herself and was weak, her breaths short and hard. "Sh... Shut up, kid. We're gonna get outta this mess, alright? And you wanna know why, don't you?"

I nodded quickly; anything of hope was enough for me. Anko smiled faintly. "Well, it's love. Love sounds pretty damn corny, I know, but it will. Actually, it's the people we love that're gonna help us. Like your Lee and my Kakashi. And all of our friends. We aren't alone, and never will be, if we have love, Chibi-chan. Remember that." I felt my heart throb at her words and hugged her tight, crying some more.

"My mom said something just like that once, a long time ago."

"Where d'you think I got it from," Anko said, closing her eyes and smiling at me. "You look just like her, by the way. But you got a bit of your father in you; little jokester, that one. Couldn't pass up a chance to laugh his ass off at something stupid or act completely retarded and childish while doing something. Yeah, that Tenkou was a funny one."

I couldn't resist. "What about the other people in my family? What about my grandfather? My mom said he died before I was born, so I never knew him."

Anko shook her head. "Sorry kid. By the time I met Kora-chan, he was already dead."

"Kora-chan can't be her full name, right?" I didn't know a whole lot about my mother personally, no matter how close I was to her. When I talked to Anko I knew it would be the only chance I got to find out anything about her.

"Yeah. Her full name was Sokora Amesui Kimochi." Anko shifted a little, wincing as her back scraped the wall.

I blinked and then nodded. "That's right... her middle name was Acid Rain... her most powerful jutsu..." Anko nodded and leaned her head back, breathing some more.

"Hey kid..."

"Yeah Anko-shukubo?"

"Let's just be quiet for a little bit... alright?"

"OK." I got off her and lead her to the small bed, where she slowly laid on the threadbare sheets. I crawled on after her, trying to make her as comfortable as possible before closing my eyes.

I didn't sleep, but the least I could do for myself was block the images of my surroundings, that way when I did fall asleep, the nightmares wouldn't scare me as bad.

He was going to try and kill us.

He was definitely going to rape me.

But one thing he couldn't do, the one thing he couldn't take away, was my love.

Anko was right. He'd never be able to break us as long as we waited for them.

Waited for our friends. Our loves.

And, if they were still alive, our angels.

_TenTen's POV_

I felt my heart soar even higher than I was when I heard Hinata yell, "I can see traces of her, both Anko-san and Kenisha-nee-chan! We're getting close!"

I heard Kakashi ask where and Hinata pointed. Sasuke growled; he had joined us not long after we got back from Kakashi and Anko's cottage in the Forest of Death. "That's where I first went... He's there all right."

"What's wrong Sasu-ai," Emily asked, looking concerned. I think that being near the base of the man who almost took everything from him must've done something to him.

"My curse mark... it's burning. We are close... very close." I motioned to Temari, and we both glided down toward the group, who had stopped near a large oak tree and some concrete stairs.

"Damn, looks like Chibi-chan's been here," Temari said, pointing at the door, which had been kicked to splinters. Kakashi lit a light and lead the way in. Temari and I had to land and walk behind them, kunai out and at the ready.

"I don't like this," Shikamaru said, rubbing his head and peering into the blackness. "But I have an idea."

"Yeah, what," Kakashi said in his bored tone, turning his head slightly to hear him.

"I think that two of us should go back and get help if this gets too hectic. It has to be someone that can fly, since they go the fastest." He looked pointedly at me and Temari.

"No way in hell am I leaving my sister in that hell hole," I said, crossing my arms.

"I'm not going either, and I know that's why you said it. I can take care of myself in a fight, Lazy-ass," Temari said, glaring at him. Shikamaru closed his eyes and sighed.

"That isn't why. It's just that we're going up against a powerful enemy, one that could take on two villages if he wanted to and live to tell about it. I just want to know that if we need help we can get it fast. A handful of ANBU and one sibling of the Kazekage can't do much against a foe like this."

We all nodded, finding truth in his words. But no way in hell was I going. "Temari, you can go when he says. Take Shikamaru with you."

"Since when did you become team leader? 'Sides, I said I wasn't going."

"You are, and you're gonna like it. And I'm not saying I'm team leader, I'm just saying it's the rational thing to do. You have people to go back to and a brother to assist back in Suna. And you have Shikamaru and a duty to uphold as ambassador. You can also go faster than I can. I have no clan; every Hyuuga but Hinata, Naruto, and Minato hates me. I may have a duty, but what's one lost ANBU? And like I said, you have Shikamaru. Neji's dead, and I've got to avenge him. And none of you, not even Lee, is going to stop me."

OK, maybe I went a little overboard, but dammit, she shouldn't kill herself over this! Temari sighed as she knew I wasn't going to be swayed.

"Fine, I'll go. But only if it gets rough enough that someone isn't gonna make it, cuz in that case, I'm taking the injured with me," she said in slight defeat but also in confidence. She'd do it.

"If we're done planning, we should go," Yamato said, getting up in front with Kakashi and checking the rooms on the sides of the hallway. Hinata was doing the same when she stumbled on another busted door.

"Everyone, look at this," she pointed a shaking finger into the room, which ended up to be a dimly lit chamber. Blood was splattered everywhere, and some flesh was hanging from some of the pillars near the center. Katie walked up to it, and much to my distaste, she tasted the blood.

"It's not Kenisha's. It's Ryoku's."

"How do you know that from _tasting_ the blood?"

"The badger that I can summon bestowed me ome of her more vulgar abilities, including the one that enables me to tell who a person is by tasting their blood, confirming their blood type, age, height, weight, and other such information." So the smart-ass Kimochi was part-vampire.... awkward.

"OK..." Everyone seemed to edge away from her, even Yamato. She rolled her eyes and spit, probably to get the blood out. Didn't make it any less creepy, sorry.

"Then they killed him," Emily said, getting excited as she broke the silence. "Only one more to go..."

"If they killed him, his body would be here and we would have heard fighting. He's not dead, and neither are they," Shikamaru stated, walking out of the door way and continuing down the hall with Kakashi and the others. We followed the little droplets of blood until we found a door. But as we looked beside the door, the droplets lead on to some other part of the base.

"Ok, half of us stay here, the other half go ahead and follow. I suggest the strongest of us go ahead," Shikamaru said, getting a serious look on his face. Temari scoffed and stood in front of him, her back pressed against the door.

"If you want things done right, you do them yourself. Hinata, please look into this room and tell us what you see," she asked.

Hinata obliged and gasped. "They're in there."

"What do you mean "They're"? Who else is in there with Kenisha-nee-chan," I asked, getting impatient.

Hinata motioned for Temari to move and opened the door slowly, as if she didn't want to wake the people inside. "Anko-sensei is there as well..."

We all crowded in to see Anko and Kenisha, covered in blood and foreign flesh, breathing softly on a tiny bed on the side of the room.

"OK, this is as fucked up as it gets," Emily shouted, making Sasuke cover her mouth quickly.

"Baka, d'yu know what you've done?" She wrenched his hand off and glared.

"No, I don't so why did you cover my--"

A loud bang interupted their arguement and faint footsteps echoed from the open door.

"Dearest Kenisha, why make so much noise... I was preparing to heal, but I guess you want to be punished instead..." That voice sounded all too familiar to me. The two on the bed stirred, and at his next words, Kenisha shot open her eyes and whimpered.

"Time to be punished...." The voice was getting closer.

"N-no... I was a good girl, I was a good girl!" She began to shake and hold herself and Anko held onto her shoulders, petting her hair and trying to soothe her. We heard the sickly familiar voice again, and what he said sent chills down my spine and haunt me to this day.

"I hope you're prepared, young one: Sex is all the sweeter when you scream."

* * *

**Me: OH EM EFF GEE! PLEASE REVIEW PEOPLE!!**

**Anko: E, H, that means you!**

**Emily and Hermione: Fine!**

**Katie: *grumbles and walks away, throwing a bomb behind her, blowing up the Inuyasha TV show set***

**Everyone: WHAT THE HELL, KATIE?!?! THAT WAS INUYASHA!!**

**Katie: Yeah, was....**

**Everyone: PLEASE REVIEW, AND WE'LL ADD SOMETHING SPECIAL IN THERE, JUST FOR YOU!**


	14. Welcome to Hell

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THE ANIME, OR THE SONGS I USE IN THIS CHAPTER/FANFICTION! THAT IS ALL!**

**Me: OK people, this is the explosive Chapter 14! Get ready for some hardcore angst!**

**Emily: What do you mean, "angst"? I DON'T WANT ANY ANGST!**

**Me: -sticks tongue out- Deal with it.**

**Hermione: YO GUYS, I COME IN THIS CHAPTER!**

**Emily: EWW, THERE'S A LEMON IN HERE?**

**Hermione: NO, YOU BAKA!**

**Chapter 14**

_It's all over for  
It's all over for you  
For you  
When you're on the edge and falling off  
It's all over for you  
For you  
When you're on the edge and falling off  
It's all over_

_x- lyrics from It's All Over by Three Days Grace –x_

_Koneko's POV_

I trembled in Anko's arms and hoped that no one else could see me at this critical moment of weakness. I wanted to kill myself then and there, crawl into a hole and not come out. But my wish would not be coming true.

He was getting closer.

"Shh… I won't let him hurt you. No one's going to hurt you," Anko tried in vain to comfort me, but I shook still, remembering his hands on me, his incessant pounding, the feeling of tearing flesh, and all the blood… My lower body ached just thinking about it. Kakashi walked over to us and put a hand on Anko's shoulder, rubbing it reassuringly. Anko looked at him and sighed. "Kid…"

"Anko… we need to--"

"You need to leave now," Temari stated simply, grabbing at my hand. I shied away and whimpered.

"No, you guys have to go instead, it's not safe. He's gonna do to you what he's gonna do to me. He's gonna…" I couldn't bring myself to continue and just cringed into Anko's body when he spoke again.

"You'd better be getting ready for me, sweet. It will hurt more if you aren't prepared."

Lee looked more and more infuriated with every syllable Ryoku spoke, his eyebrows threatening to poke into his pupils. His fists clenched as he walked toward the bed and scooped me up in a fluid motion, tucking me into his chest. It did not only add to my fear, but made me wonder what was going to happen to them. They were going to protect me.

They were going to pay a price. They needed to leave before he collected it.

"Lee-koishi… please, just go! I don't want to get you guys in trouble too!" I looked fearfully at the door, then up at Lee. "Please… just hide until he's finished with me… Just go!"

He looked at me protectively. "I'm not letting him do that to you anymore." I shook my head. The door twitched, as if the wind had passed it and slammed it harder against the doorframe. I jumped slightly.

Lee kissed me firmly and romantically then let me touch back down on the floor. "You are mine, now and forever. Nothing he does to you can change that." I nodded and with a parting hug from TenTen and Emily, they disappeared into the shadows. I quickly collapsed back onto the bed with Anko and thought about sex with Lee, flashing images through my mind as fast as I could, trying to get myself "prepared" in his terms. I was getting wet, slowly, but at least it wouldn't hurt as much. Anko gave me a look again, and I shrugged. Apparently I had moaned a little.

"It's not from anticipation, y'know. I'm trying to make this as painless as possible," I said softly, uncurling myself from under her chest. She got up and held me around my shoulders.

"It'll be over quickly."

The door creaked as it slowly opened. "I hope so…" The crack revealed a blotchy, yellow-rimmed eye: Ryoku's.

"Dear girl, it's time." He opened it full way to reveal his half naked body; he was only clothed in loose pants that slid down past the rim of his buttocks. He wasn't wearing any underwear.

"Ew," Anko breathed in my ear, and I nodded.

"You see what I have to deal with," I breathed back, looking more pointedly at Ryoku's now-healed ear than his eyes, getting up and sighing. "Where do you want to do this," I asked with what courage I had left.

"In the next room: Our guest Miss Mitarashi doesn't have to see any of this, now does she?" I shook my head quickly. Anko didn't deserve to see what he was going to do to me. He walked out, not even gesturing for me to follow him, but I did, like a sick slave. I gave Anko a parting look before closing her in darkness again.

We arrived at the neighboring room momentarily, which was revealed to be nothing more than a game room: a pool table and a couple chess tables were positioned with care around the small room. He patted the pool table and I sat upon it, waiting. "Well," he said loftily, fingering a pool stick before looking back up at me, "We're going to see how far we can get before you get a scratch on the table. Then we'll stop. How's that sound?"

Like I had a damn choice. "That sounds wonderful, Ryoku-sama," I said with my voice dripping with lies. He smiled.

"So you haven't forgotten your studies, dearest. Well, come along, take a seat on your Master's throne."

"I'd rather burn in the hell you sent my parents to."

"Kenisha…" His tone told me he was done with my back-talk. He sat next to me on the table, patted his lap, and I reluctantly sat on it. His boner was already poking into my ass. He began slowly, kissing my neck and leaving bites too bloody to be classified as ones of love. But I suffered in silence, not willing to voice my pain. He licked the blood up and rolled his tongue at the base of my neck, gliding it back up so it tipped the underside of my chin. I was now sliding off his lap and back onto the pool table at an odd angle, as I'd fall backwards onto the green at any second. I didn't like that. Then his hands cupped my cheeks, and he twisted my head around so fast I felt whiplash in my head.

Then he kissed me. No, more like tried to eat my mouth from the inside. He bit my tongue, and I recoiled, but his hands kept me firm on his chapped, blood-stained lips. My injured tongue tasted rotting flesh, alcohol, and a mouthful of egotistic asshole; all unwillingly. I tried hitting him, but he crushed my hands to my chest when he slammed into them with his chest. Then he finally pulled back, attacking my shirt with his teeth, ripping through the neckline and swiftly pulling down so it split in tatters.

"!!" I pulled the two sides together, but he wrenched my hand away, pinning it to my hip with his knee, pushing my back into the soft felt of the pool table. I hissed in a breath and he chuckled.

"Be a good girl and let the master have his fun, hmm?"

"No." I spat on his face and he ground his knee into my hand, making me gasp and hold in a scream. It cracked lightly, and I felt the internal bleeding.

I still had on my bra, so he took a kunai from his pocket, one hand still on my face, and tore through it, along with most of the skin on the middle of my chest. I tried to hold the cry of pain in, but it came out. He smiled sadistically, licking up the blood and darting his tongue into the wound, making me cry out more. "That's a good girl, scream for your Master…" I resisted the urge to slap him senseless with my other hand; if I did, I'd be in for a lot worse.

Then he parted the ruined shirt and bra and took hold of my D-34's, piercing his over-long fingernails into the sensitive flesh. His crimson-tracked tongue darted out again, tasting my assets before biting down on my nipples, lifting my upper body upwards as he did so. It felt like they were going to fall off. So I finally gave in and clawed into his head with my free hand, pushing in with my fingernails in hopes to crush his brains. He took this as an act of romantic passion instead of attempted murder. He bit down even harder and moved to different parts, letting my crimson pain drain onto his face. Then he suddenly shoved on my breasts and pushed me down, slamming my head on the other wooden frame of the table. The force sent stars through my vision, making my neck ache and the base of my head flame. He attacked them once more, letting the kunai he used before slide through my skin again, going lower and lower. It tore through the pants material, the zipper, and my underwear, exposing myself to his demented yellow eyes.

"Yes, my sweet…" He felt down there and I felt sick to my stomach. His fingers ran up and down the slit, trying to turn me on. I kicked him in the hip, trying to throw him off balance, but all that did was make his face slam into my vagina. He rubbed his sweaty, greasy nose into my slit next, inhaling my scent. "Oh, so delicious…" OK, now that is BEYOND NASTY! I tried to back away, but he kept a hand around my ankle, keeping me his prisoner.

Ryoku began to take off his pants and I went back into my old ways: Kick his ass before that bastard's dick gets in you, girl. I kicked him in the lower stomach and got a slap across the face with the near-forgotten pool stick as a response. The red mark he left was beginning to smart already, and I tasted my own blood in my mouth. He hit me again and then he picked me up by my neck and slammed me into the wall, my back gaining all new cuts and bruises. He made a seal with one hand and the earth in the wall slowly morphed over my wrists and ankles, sliding them farther and farther apart, until I was spread-eagled, my upper-body falling forward and my breasts bouncing freely. I looked up at him and glared, breathing hard in my pain.

"You fuckin' bastard! Let me go!" I struggled, only getting pulled muscles and stabs of pain in my ankles and wrists to my brain.

He slapped me again, but this time I didn't cry out. I took it like a kunoichi. "I'm not letting you go, bitch. You're staying here until I'm satisfied." I gasped as he plunged about 4 fingers into me, scratching at my walls and pounding harshly into my hole. I screamed when one particular finger scraped its way from top to bottom, coming out with flesh under its nail and once again, more blood. He licked it almost joyfully and bent down to lick up the rest of my pain. I winced as his spit burned in the cuts and his rough tongue hit the newly formed bruises. Then he pulled my body down, making me cry out when my shoulders cracked at the new angle. He almost climbed onto me, his hands weighing down my shoulders and his hips hitting mine. Then he plunged in, making sure that it was at the wrong angle so it would hurt me even more.

"Ow! Stop it!" His fingernails bit into my shoulder blades as he pounded further in, his hips hitting mine, making my butt get cut up against the wall. I pulled upward with all my might, trying to get out of his deadly embrace, but he pulled my neck down, making me kiss him again. I pulled away and he let go too quickly, causing me to slam my head back against the wall; it felt wet and warm on the back of my head. He rose via the earth and stuck his dick in my face, running it along my lips. I tried not to feel the semen and blood, but the wetness, the warmth… it was all there. He briefly pulled away so I took the opportunity to scream at him.

"I don't want to! Get off, you sick ass-fuck!" As I was screaming, he shoved his length into my mouth, pushing it into the back of my throat, his sweaty, wrinkly balls hanging on my chin. I bit down and he screamed in pain, taking himself out of me and holding his dick in anguish. My incisors had punctured it. I spat the blood out and tried to move while he was down, but with no avail. All I could do was bend my knees and elbows, and all that did was infuriate him; watching me struggle made him detest my defiance even more. He twisted my neck towards him and gave me a backhand, relishing in the sound of my cries as the force cramped and pulled at sore my muscles and made my head spin. His other hand had also moved; it was attacking my breasts again, but this time the kunai made its grand debut. It made minuscule scratches in the flesh and almost cut my nipples off, making tears bead back up in my eyes. Any longer and I won't be able to take this without screaming bloody murder. And then his dick slammed inside me again, thrusting with renewed vigor, his grunting filling my ears and his chuckles striking fear in my soul as he licked the blood that dripped from my head and breasts, his tongue making them ache even more. I was reduced to pleading; usually he liked it when his "slave" begged.

"Please… just let me go…!" A slice in the back with the kunai was my answer, making me scream as he pounded into me again; the cut he had given me was widening and getting rougher with every impact against the wall.

After a few minutes of more sexual pain, his pounding slowed, then quickened greatly, tearing my skin even more. "Rrgh!" Then his dick seemed to enlarge, which made me cry out in even more. After a few seconds, the insides of my uterus felt very, very hot, and then the liquid dripped out of me, tinged light pink because of all the blood. I breathed hard, having not come yet and wondered what he'd do until I did. But he was panting, his hands on his knees, then slowly dropping to the floor. I assumed his old age was catching up with him. The rocks holding my wrists and ankles crumbled, letting me fall unceremoniously on the floor a few feet from him.

I gasped in pain and laid there, trying to get my bearings, my hot tears stinging my face even more than his hits had. It was completely dark in this room, I realized, as all I had seen was red. I felt around on the wall, until I found the door. I looked behind me and listened: Ryoku was still panting. I slipped out and crawled under the torchlight, following the now dry trail of blood and finding the room Anko and the others were in; I almost scraped all the skin off of my knees in my hustle to get inside.

As I peeked in I immediately realized that they had all been pressed against the wall, trying to hear what he was doing. Doing to me. They all jumped when I crawled in, crumpled and bleeding, and gave me a sad yet disgusted look. I'd have done the same, if I'd seen myself crawling into a room in this state.

Anko pulled me into a swift hug then let Lee tuck me into his arms, wrapping the thin blanket around me as I shook again, letting myself fall apart in his chest. Katie kneeled beside us and examined the semen that had dropped from me on the floor. She was putting her finger to it, when Temari randomly spoke, "Please Katie, we all know where that came from. Please, if you want to keep us sane, _do not lick that!"_

I blinked rapidly, remembering the other people here. "What the hell?" I frowned. My voice sounded scratchy and weak. Katie wiped her finger on her pants and sighed.

"Katie licked the blood from a pillar in the chamber you fought in to see whose it was," TenTen said suddenly from behind Lee. Lee kissed my throbbing, swollen cheek and rubbed my back, both of which felt horrible. Every time he went up, the skin went up and closed a bit, and every time he went down, the cut would widen. My head felt like relaxing in his arms, but my body said that it wasn't ready for another man just yet, especially one so oblivious to my pain.

"Lee-koishi… please stop. It hurts… he hurt my… it just hurts…" Lee did, and his hand came back airbrushed with crimson; the blood had soaked through the blanket.

Emily coughed, "Katie's disgusting!" Katie sent her a glare, and then returned her gaze to me.

"OK, sweetie, you need to come to me, I'm gonna heal you," Katie said, moving her hands toward my bleeding chest. God, what the hell is she trying to do; feel me up? I've had much more than my fair share and no way in hell was it happening to me again. I kicked her hands away and curled up farther into Lee's chest and refused to move.

"Iie."

"Kenisha-koi, you have to--" I sent him my coldest glare and he leaned back, almost fearful.

"Iie Lee-koishi."

"Lee can't heal you, and you need immediate medical attention. You're going to bleed to death otherwise."

"Iie." My will was iron-clad. I was rigid as a board and yet fearful as a mouse.

I was not moving.

_These wounds won't seem to heal  
This pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase_

_x- lyrics from My Immortal by Evanescence-x_

_Tsunade's POV_

Shizuke and Shizune had fallen asleep in Shizune's bed as soon as Shizuke was settled. Shizune had recently gotten up, as it is now 9:30 AM. No missions to file, no paperwork to do (Shizune had gotten onto me about that). A wonderful day to relax. We watched the small boy sleep in the Queen size bed, just enjoying seeing another life in the house. Not every day the Hokage gets to baby-sit.

OK, it isn't like taking care of kids is a part of my job as Hokage. I can just pay someone else to do it. Yeah, use my resources and pay someone to take care of the orphaned Uchiha brat. Shizuke slowly got up and rubbed his eye, his silver hair in a bit of a tassel. Shizune giggled and helped him out of bed, leading him toward me. He tugged on my sleeve and looked up at me with those ice-blue eyes, and I reconsidered paying Shizune extra to watch him while I went out to drink sake and sleep.

He can't be so bad…

"Tsunade-obaa-san, can Sin-chan and Natsuma-kun come over so they can play with me?"

...Then again, he could be a demon from hell sent to me by Jiraiya. "Kid, do I have to? Can't you play with me, your good ol' obaa-san instead?"

He shook his head.

"No, you're too old for me. I want to play with kids my own age. Donde esta mi primos?" I frowned. The kid acted like his Auntie Emily, Auntie Katie, and Auntie Kenisha combined; especially with that Spanish. Wait, didn't those three mention that the kid's deceased mother was just like that?

I looked to Shizune, who closed her eyes and held up her hands. "They're the only family he has; it would be a good idea to bring them to him, wouldn't it?" I sighed and nodded.

"Ok, kid, let's get some food in you and some clothes on your back. We'll take you to them." He looked up at me curiously.

"Really?" He looked down. "Oh…"

I smiled a little. "Yeah, of course. What were your aunties telling you about me that lead you to believe I wouldn't?"

He sort of blushed a bit and looked up at me again with difficulty; my assets kind of blocked my face from view at his height. "Well, it's only been Auntie Emily telling me things. She said that when she was younger, you used to be a real bi--"

Shizune clamped a hand on his mouth and looked up at me nervously; I felt like punching him and Emily, next time I saw her. "Hehe, why don't we just go eat, ne?"

Shizuke's eyes lit up. "What are you going to cook? I never get anything home-made: Auntie Emily can't cook to save her life and Auntie Katie tells me to read the cook book to find out."

This comment made me burst out laughing. Imagining Emily blowing up a stove in my mind didn't make Shizune any calmer as she watched laughing tears fall down my face. "Umm… Tsunade-sama? Shouldn't we get ready to eat breakfast? I'm going to make pancakes, Shizuke," she said, patting his silver head before padding in her gray slippers to the kitchen, her robe swishing behind her.

I smiled; where would I be without Shizune? I followed her in with Shizuke at my heels, his hand still grasping the sleeve of my robe. We sat at the table and watched her work, little Shizuke kicking his legs back and forth. "Hey kid."

"Yes?"

"Tell me a bit about yourself," I said, leaning back in my chair and stretching.

"Well, my name is Uchiha Shizuke. I'm 8 years old. My hair is silver and my eyes are--"

"No kid, I mean like what are you like?"

He blinked. "Oh. I guess I'm pretty smart and I have a knack for making people feel dumb. But I'm nice and I try to play with other kids... but usually I stick with Sin-chan and Natsuma-kun." I frowned. _'So, he's basically a socially inept kid. Well, considering his relatives, I'm not really suprised.' _"But, I do have one friend... her name is Suka." He seemed to beam as he said her name. My frown did a 180. _'So there's a special girl. Ah, I love the romance.'_

"Is Suka in your class?"

"Even better: I heard from one of the teachers that since we're the two best students, we're going to be on the same team!" I chuckled. This was just like a certain Hyuuga child Sarutobi-sensei told me about all those years ago, just this one was more enthusiastic. But this loving feeling he was emitting was so painfully familiar.

"What's this Suka like, Shizuke?" He smiled and resumed to kicking his legs, looking more content then I'd ever seen him.

"She has light brown hair and its really soft; it goes down to her shoulder blades. She's always messing with it. She likes to play with my hair as well. And her eyes are blue, almost like mine, but a deeper, more pure shade. It's so beautiful..."

I left him in his own little world as he described his friend. Shizune smiled knowingly, and I nodded, leaning over to her ear.

"Seems we have another one on our hands, Shizune," I grinned, closing my eyes in the sheer humor of it.

Shizune nodded and giggled and handed out the now finished pancakes, I taking 4, Shizuke taking 2, and Shizune taking the median 3. We all poured the syrup on and dug in, content and warm. Situations like these make my mind drift off into darker waters, back to the people that could be enjoying this if they were alive. Three people were on that list.

Nawaki, my wonderful and innocent little brother that never got to enjoy his childhood. He wanted to be a ninja and become Hokage, just like a certain blonde we all know. He'd have taken about 6 pancakes and after consuming them say he was still hungry. He'd be laughing with syrup all around his lips and his always-blushing cheeks even redder. I almost choked on the piece of pancake I bit off of my fork.

Dan, my boyfriend, the only one who understood my determination for a medical ninja to be on each squad, and who loved me unconditionally. He would be humble and take only 3 pancakes, like Shizune, his niece, and be very neat about it. He'd be giving my a soft smile, and he would've taken my hand. My hand subconciously clenched.

And finally... Jiraiya. Probably the only man who truly understood me. The one man I hated, yet loved more than anything. He'd be making perverted jokes about the pancakes, nudging me and giving me his famous perverted grin. But when I'd give him a look, he'd give me a softer, more serious one, showing his emotions in his eyes rather then mess them up with his words. And after a few moments, the idiot would shove the pancakes in my mouth, and even though I'd be pissed, it would blow over, and I'd love him again.

I couldn't stop the slight tear going down my cheek as I finally tasted the bittersweet memories through my breakfast.

"Tsunade-obaa-san, are you alright?" I looked across the table at the look of pure innocence coming from Shizuke.

"I-I'm fine, Shizuke... just remembering a couple things..." I managed a smile, knowing that those precious people were smiling down on me, or smiling up at me, in Jiraiya's case. Pein sent him to hell. "Let's hurry up and get ready to see Sin and Natsuma, OK?"

He beamed. "And maybe even Suka!"

Shizune smiled and put a hand on his head. "That's a great idea, Shizuke." He quickly cleared his plate and placed it in the sink, hurrying to his room to get into some new clothes. Shizune walked over to me and put a hand on my shoulder, slowly wrapping her arms around my neck and resting her hands at my collarbone.

"Tsunade-sama..."

"Shizune..." I sighed. "How many times have I told you to call me Baa-san?"

She shook her head. "I don't want to call you that, Tsunade-sama.... think more along the lines of Okaa-san," she said, pressing her head closer to mine, mixing her short black hair with my long blonde tresses. I hitched in a breath, but relaxed. This was secretly what I had wanted. Shizune was my last close person...

"Alright, shoujo-chan," I said with a smile. Shizune hugged me a little tighter, and I turned slightly to return it.

"Arigatou, Tsuna-- Okaa-san," she said softly.

"Iie Shizune-shoujo, _arigatou_," I mumbled, and then, to both of our surprise, my world quickly turned blacker than Shizune's hair.

"Okaa-san! Okaa-san!"

_TenTen's POV_

I didn't want to spend any more time in this hell hole then I had to, so I did the only rational thing.

I stepped over, raised my hand, and knocked Kenisha out.

Lee seemed surprised, maybe even a bit upset at my action, but I didn't really care. I was feeling an extremely powerful Chakra coming this way, and worst part was, it felt like two people.

"Lee, hold her tighter and run with Shikamaru. Temari, I think it's time for you to take Anko and go. I'm pulling a henge," I said, then successfully poofed into a carbon-copy of what Anko looked like now. Temari nodded in understanding and took Anko's hand, dragging her, Kakashi, Lee and Shikamaru to the far corner, where Hinata was preparing a teleportation scroll. Naruto got up beside me and put a hand on my now fishnet-covered shoulder.

"You'd better not die just because Neji is," he ordered seriously, and to my surprise, I nodded. He continued, "Remember what he said, remember what you have, and live for what the future may be, understand?" I didn't know when Naruto got this kind of knowledge and depth, but again, I nodded.

"I'm the Weapons Mistress, Naruto. You'd doubt my abilities so easily?" The presences were coming closer...

"I'm not doubting the Weapons Mistress," he muttered, his eyes blazing with blue flame, "I'm doubting Hyuuga TenTen. She'd better prove me wrong, just like her husband did."

I felt myself choking up as his hand left my shoulder and he walked with the others to the scroll. _'That was... something that _he_ would say...' _Emily, Sasuke, Katie and Yamato stayed in the shadows, waiting for the moment to strike. "Wait, something's not right.." I heard Hinata hiss before the signature's closed in on the door.

They disappeared when the door burst open. I sat on the bed with my hand on Kenisha's shoulder. Wait... Kenisha's?! I bit my lip. _'Damn, so she wasn't able to go through...'_

"Well well, Miss Mitarashi, I'm sure you haven't forgotten my dear friend here?" Ryoku chuckled darkly as Orochimaru strutted in and stroked my cheek in an almost loving way. I sat there, paralyzed. Apparently, that's what he was expecting the real Anko to do; not that I would've done otherwise.

"Anko-chan, it's been too long! Still associating with rejects, I see..." He casted a glance to Kenisha's unconcious body that was thankfully still covered by the sheet. "But that won't matter soon, however..." His snake-like pupils dove into mine and I knew he saw through me. "You have no right to say anything, do you?"

The chilling edge in his voice nearly made me keel over. Flashes of things I didn't recognize corrupted my mind's eye. An evil laboratory, an island, a small hut, a broken bowl, a deep black forehead protector... '_These memories... these voices... Are they Anko's?!'_ My eyes widened as he touched a long ivory finger to my forehead and my henge broke. His cackle made my blood turn to ice. _'I was found out so quickly...'_

"The Weapons Mistress?" Ryoku smiled evilly.

"Didn't you just murder her husband, Ryoku-kun?" Oh no, he did not just... I could feel my very atoms shaking in fury.

"That worthless Hyuuga trash--"

My kunai were in his eyes faster than you could say "bitch". "You will never speak of Hyuuga Neji that way!" He cried out in pain as I summoned a katana from a summoning tattoo on my un-bandaged hip and sliced him through the side with it. I brought it up again for another swing, only to have it broken in two by a pair of disgusting tan fingers.

"Ah ah ah! Did you forget who you were up against, child? I am Kage, and you're nothing but a little ANBU Leiutenant, aren't you? You can't win against the one who killed your--"

"RUSEI!" My wings shot out and pierced him with their feather-like scales, and as he stumbled I pulled him toward me and pummelled him with my fists, knees, anything I could move.

**_"TenTen, you have a fire burning within you. Do not let it go out."_**

**_"'Course I won't, Tou-san. I'm gonna be just as strong as you and Kaa-san, just you wait! Then my fire will really blaze through!"_**

**_"Alright, Tennie-chan." He ruffled my pigtailed head. "Keep your weapons sharp as your mind, ne?"_**

He was still considerably weakened from raping Kenisha and now I had him all to myself; my personal punching bag. I felt blood on my knuckles but did not stop. My Chakra flared, and trickled outside my fingertips; they left tiny cigarette burns in Ryoku's skin.

**_"They're dead...?" The ANBU put a hand on my shoulder an silently nodded._**

**_"Gomen nasai, little one."_**

**_"B-But I thought that.. I'd be just as good as them! They can't die! They can't!" I shook my head in disbelief. They had already fought so hard to stay here... now they can't even enjoy it?!_**

**_"Then you just need to surpass them, little one." With that, the ANBU left my now hopeless apartment._**

I felt pain in my shoulders but I did not stop. My pain... he doesn't care about my pain!

**_"Why even try to defeat me? You can't get past my Kaiten, TenTen." I sighed and looked at him, my eyes ablaze with my determined fire, just like Tou-san said._**

**_"Because someday, I pierce through that dome and torch you with my fiery determination, Neji."_**

**_"YOSH, TENTEN-CHAN! YOU SPEAK WITH THE POWER OF YOUTH!" Neji just smirked and closed his eyes, reopening them toward the sky, where two birds flew in an intricate dance to a nearby tree, twittering carelessly._**

**_"I'll hold you to that, TenTen.."_**

Even as his flesh turned to a bloody jelly due to my Chakra-enriched fists, I did not stop. Orochimaru chuckled in the corner, softly petting Kenisha's hair. I did not stop in my furious rampage.

**_"Dragon!" He ran to me, holding me up with one arm as I stumbled, coughing up more blood on the battlefield. "Dragon... you pushed me out of the way... why?" This was strictly an ANBU mission, I knew, but I had to remind him: ANBU isn't everything._**

**_"You have more than one blind-spot, Phoenix... Please, say my name. I'm afraid in all this confusion, you've forgotten it." He frowned, pulling me closer to him, his lips at my ear._**

**_"Gomen nasai... TenTen-koi." Then he kissed me, casting away my doubts and making me feel like flying._**

My knees ground his groin into mush and my feet pierced through his Achilles tendon with the hidden blade in the shoe. He took him away from me! How dare he!

**_"NEJI, I LOVE YOU, PLEASE--" My heart was ripping into pieces all over again; losing him once was enough!_**

**_"Iie, TenTen... I'll always love you. Remember me, koi.."_**

Orochimaru watched with mirth as his comrade got beaten within a hair of his life, and then used his snakes to pin me to the wall beside Kenisha's bed, letting the bloody heap on the floor regenerate as best it could. I growled. "You let me go, you filty bastard before I--"A snake bit into my neck, and I fell into darkness. But one question I hadn't thought of ran through my head as my eyes drifted closed.

_'Had the Kimochi and Lee left with the others?'_

_Aren't we all to you just lost causes?  
Aren't we all to you lost?  
Lost causes  
Aren't we all to you  
Is all we are, is all we are  
What we are is all we are_

_x- Fin by Anberlin -x_

_Normal POV_

Uchiha Hermione looked down from limbo with a dark look on her face. Itachi stood faithfully beside her, his raven wings beating soundlessly as they hovered.

_"I think it's time we made our descent, Hermione-hime...."_

Hermione nodded curtly, tying her Soragakure hitai-ate around her neck as Itachi donned the mask of his old ANBU uniform.

_"You're right, Itachi-koi," _she said softly, splaying her wings to their full length along with her right arm, almost like a commmanding gesture._ "We're sending in all the angels!" _As if by order, 10 more winged figures materialized behind Hermione and Itachi, surrounded by almost celestial white Chakra energy. The duo in front began to glow with the same energy, closing their eyes and breathing in deep, then descending at an alarming speed, tucking their wings in and diving through the smoky clouds. The other angels followed, tears streaming down their porcelain faces from the high speeds.

_'Don't worry,' _Hermione thought as her small squadron of angels met a bright dandelion light, followed by the sharp vacuum-like feeling of air being taken out of their lungs. _'We're going to watch over all of you now. Everything is going to be alright.' _Her sweet caramel eyes seemed to flash as she took in her destination with her eagle's skillful vision.

_'You just need to make the right move when the time comes.'_

The angels descended on the base and phased through its walls, forming a circle around the room that TenTen and Kenisha were being held in. One of the angels broke formation and brushed TenTen's cheek with his hand, only to be pulled back by Itachi.

_"This is no time for personal feelings," _Itachi grunted and the angel only bowed his head in submission, his ebony hair flowing over his equally dark wings.

The two living men in the room didn't seem to notice the angels surrounding them, and the albino one smirked.

"Well, I think its getting to be high time we test out that young Kimochi's abilities, don't you, Ryoku," he hissed in a wistful way, earning a slight smirk from Ryoku, who was currently rubbing his dirty hands all over Kenisha's neck and breasts while she was unconcious. It made 10 angels gag and the ones with pale blue wings to growl in anger, their Chakra turning a dangerous navy.

"I'll let the savages know, Orochimaru-sama," Ryoku cackled as he let go of his victim and strolled out of the room to the hallway. Hermione and Itachi followed, leaving the other angels to watch over the two women. Ryoku took them to a massive, dingy, depressing cell block where all of Orochimaru's freak experiments and prisoners were kept in constraints. He pressed a button, and a blinding light shone through the iron bars of their cages, making most of them cry in pain.

"Do you wish to be free, you worthless pieces of scum?"

They all growled and screamed, banging their already grotesque limbs at their bars, trying to get at Ryoku for turning on the accursed light. "Oh, tut tut, I shouldn't be the one you're angry at," he chided them like they were children. "It's that damned Kimochi of Water brat and the Weapons Mistress that have brought this upon you. You all were only captured to test their abilities." He smiled sadistically when he heard the enraged roars of the prisoners echo and vibrate through his ears and throughout the cavern.

"Well then, tomorrow you will get your chance! You can destroy them once and for all!!"

"YEAHHH!!" Some rocks fell from the sheer power of the vibrations in the voices of the damned prisoners.

Hermione's eyes widened in shock. _"Oh no. They won't be able to handle the enemies, not on this scale!"_

Itachi placed a calming hand on her shoulder, rubbing it and then taking her chin in his hand, making her face him. _"That is why we're here. And when the time is right, we'll be here to stay and end this for good."_ His onyx eyes bore into hers, giving her reassurance and power. _"Then no one will be hurt anymore."_

_"Hai, Itachi-koi."_

They returned to the room where Kenisha and TenTen were, seeing Orochimaru had gone and TenTen wake up from her knocked out daze with help by none other than her angel. Hermione quickly flashed over to him and ripped him away by his wings, causing him to crash into another angel.

_"You fool! Do you know what you've done?!"_

Neji was wordless, for TenTen was looking straight at him, in all of his glowing angelic glory, tears streaming like liquid crystal down her cheeks.

"N....Neji?!"

* * *

**Me: BET YA'LL DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING! Though it was a little rushed considering how long its been since I updated.**

**Hermione: Of course they didn't, they're the God damned readers and you never gave any allusion to this until they read the above Author's Note. And it was so rushed you'd think a 2 year old wrote it.**

**Me: *pouts* So? Meanie....**

**Hermione: Whatever, kid.**

**Me: PLEASE REVIEW!**


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